Frittata is an Italian classic, and can be made with the vegetables of your choice, with or without cheese. It is a type of Italian omelette but served unfolded and round, taking the shape of the frying pan in which it has been cooked.
The most common way to cook a frittata is on a stove, flipping it halfway through the cooking so as to cook the other side. However, if you find this difficult, you can partially cook the frittata on a stove-top, and then without flipping it, transfer the pan under the grill to finish cooking the top. The frittata I propose here is lovely and rather unusual, as it has a sweet element with the use of raisins and it can be served with icing sugar. This combination of sweet and sour reflects the true fusion between traditional Italian and Jewish Sephardic cooking.
Preparation time: 30 minutes. Serves 4-6 as side dish or starter
Ingredients
● 500g fresh spinach leaves
● 4-5 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
● 1 red onion finely chopped
● 50g raisins
● 30g pine nuts
● 3 eggs
● 1 tbsp sugar
● 2 tbsp matzah meal
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
● Icing sugar to decorate (optional)
Method
● Wash the spinach well and without draining it, put it in a deep saucepan on medium heat, cover and leave it to steam with a teaspoon of sea salt for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
● Tip: you do not need to add any additional water when cooking the spinach, as it will release its own liquid while cooking. By not adding water, it also keeps all of its vitamins.
● Once the spinach is tender, drain it, leave to cool down and squeeze the water out. In the meantime, heat the olive oil and chopped onion in a non-stick frying pan.
● Leave to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the steamed and squeezed spinach, salt and pepper, stir well and leave to sauté for 5 minutes.
● Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the eggs, the raisins, the pine nuts, the sugar and a little salt and pepper. Finally, add the matzo meal, as this helps absorb any extra liquid.
● Once the spinach with the onion is cooked, add it to the egg mixture. Mix well and place it back into the frying pan over medium heat.
● Leave to cook for a few minutes until the bottom is set — check with a pallet spatula.
● Then, with a plate or flat lid placed on top of the frying pan tightly, turn the pan with the frittata over and gently slide it back into the frying pan, to let the other side cook until just golden.
● Serve warm or at room temperature with icing sugar on top.
