Frittata! I love this dish! It is full of protein and lots of good stuff and can be eaten as a family meal or taken out in slices for lunch or picnics.
Although you can make it with usual hens eggs (free range are best), at the moment Goose Eggs are in season. If you have never tried a goose egg, I urge you to find a couple. They are not only huge, but they are packed full of fab nutrients and vitamins….. particularly vitamins A, D. E and the various Bs.
Goose egg season runs from about late February/March through to July in the UK. You might find them in farmers markets, farm shops selling local produce and I am told (although I have never seen them) that you might even occasionally spot one in Waitrose.
I am extra lucky though….. I may have mentioned before that Miss GF’s childminder has parents with a free range egg farm……. and that means not only do we get amazing hen eggs weekly, but we also have plenty of opportunity to get first dibs on the duck and goose eggs too.
This Frittata uses goose eggs…. two of them (and I added a couple of duck eggs for good measure, given the size of the pan). They are a bit of a pig to crack….. the shells are thick and tough (which interestingly means they stay fresh for longer) and it takes a bit of practice to get them open without the worktop looking like you have smashed a small plate….. but once in there, the first thing you notice is the massive yolk.
Goose eggs have a higher yolk to white ratio than hen eggs, which means they are perfect for a rich, yellow, nutritious Frittata.
You can stuff anything into a Frittata, which is effectively a bit of a cross between a baked omelette and a crustless quiche. Originating in Italy and cooked in a skillet, you can pep it up with anything from veg, meat and fish to pasta and potatoes. My favourite for contrast of flavours is to add a variety of vegetables, either lightly sautéed or roasted before adding the eggs.
With my recent acquisition of a spiralizer, I thought I would try adding some spiralized, roasted vegetables…… I was going to post these separately, but with everything that has been going on for me, I have decided to bundle the two recipes together for simplicity of posting. The roasted veg makes an amazing side dish in itself, especially with the addition of some home-roasted cashew nuts, which give extra crunch and interest. And if you have any left…… whip up a Frittata!
In a Frittata, they are amazing! The spiralizing and roasting processes seem to help enhance and enrich the flavours of the various veg used and make for little sweet taste explosions with every bite of the slightly cheesy egg-bake. Whether fresh and hot, or cold for lunch, this is a great filling meal all in one.
The size of the Frittata I made was enough to serve 6 good-sized portions, but you could make less if your pan isn’t as large.
It also tastes lovely with a drizzle of balsamic and oil based salad dressing.
I am sharing my Frittata with the following linkies :
Cook Once Eat Twice with Corina at Searching for Spice.
Simple & in Season with Feeding Boys.
Free From Fridays with the
Free From Farmhouse.
Goose Egg Frittata with Spiralized Roasted Veg (6 servings)
Ingredients
small sweet potato
2 medium fat carrots
2 large courgettes
olive oil
good sprinkle of thyme (fresh or dried)
salt & pepper to season
large handful raw cashew nuts (roasted with a sprinkle of oil and seasoned with a little salt)
Frittata
large handful of baby button mushrooms (cut in half and fried)
batch of spiralized roasted veg
2 goose eggs + 2 duck or hen eggs (or 7-8 large hens eggs) – beaten
salt and black pepper to season
couple of large handfuls of strong Cheddar cheese (optional)
a large handful freshly chopped parsley and/or basil.
Method
- Roasted Vegetables : Heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.
- Spiralize the veg with a spiralizer to a medium thickness and transfer it all to a roasting dish.
- Drizzle the veg with a good splash of olive oil and season with the thyme and salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the veg is well-cooked and beginning to caramelise on the edges.
- Whilst the veg is cooking, take a large handful of raw cashew nuts and place them in a small oven-proof dish with a very small drizzle of olive oil and a little salt. Stir to coat thoroughly and place in the oven for about 10 minutes (stirring a couple of times during the roasting) until golden. Remove from the oven and place on kitchen towel to remove any excess oil. Set aside.
- When the veg is done, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with some of the cashew nuts (reserve a few for the frittata). Eat as it is as a side vegetable dish or use the veg in Frittata.
- Frittata : Take a large skillet (completely oven proof – including handle), about 10 inches/26 cm in diameter. Spread a good layer of the spiralized roasted vegetables and cashew nuts in the bottom of the pan.
- Heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.
- Cut the mushrooms in half and in a separate small pan fry them lightly in a little olive oil until golden.
- Break all the eggs into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Beat to combine and until the eggs appear airy with bubbles. Set aside.
- Heat the the vegetables through in the skillet and once hot, scatter the mushrooms over the top evenly.
- Sprinkle over a couple of handfuls of cheese (more if you want it to be extra cheesy, less if not)
- Pour the egg over the skillet mixture, tilt the pan to spread evenly and then continue to heat the skillet on the hob (medium to high heat) for 3 to 4 minutes until you see the edges beginning to set.
- Transfer the whole skillet into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the Frittata is completely set.
- When cooked, remove from the oven with oven gloves (and please remember the handle is very hot for a while afterwards).
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and/or basil, cut into pieces and serve hot, warm or cold.
Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-16 unless otherwise indicated
Gosh this looks fantastic! I am a recent convert to spiralized roasted veg, but I've never tried a goose egg! Must remedy this! Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge! 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth. I can't get enough of Frittata at the moment. And yes…. you MUST find some goose eggs to try. I have another 2 in my fridge awaiting some kitchen magic….
Thanks Choclette. It was really really good and I definitely agree the goose eggs made it extra yummy. They seem richer to me somehow…. maybe because of the yolk.
Shame that not many people were interested enough to make collecting them worthwhile….. they don't know what they are missing! x
Ooh your frittata looks so good. What a fab idea to use goose eggs. I really like them in this sort of thing as not only are they beautifully yellow, but I think they have a nicer flavour than hens eggs too. I didn't manage to get many this season as the lady that sells them at our Country Market said not enough people were interested enough to make it worth her while collecting them 🙁
This looks so delicious! Thank you for sharing 🙂 Pinned & Stumbled.
Thanks Angela. You're welcome x
I've never come across a goose egg. In fact if I think about it I'm not even sure I had even thought about the fact that they exist and you can cook with them! You are very lucky having lovely fresh eggs you can get hold of. That yolk sound amazing! Hope you are ok xxx
Oh yes….. We are really really lucky to have access to fresh eggs. It was through the child minder that I got introduced to Goose Eggs a few years ago and now whenever she has them, she lets me know. x
Simply delicious 🙂 Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Haley. You're welcome x
I've never tried cooking with goose eggs, but they sound amazing with all that yolk! Frittatas are brilliant for using up whatever's in the fridge, and as my boys are big lovers of eggs we have them quite regularly. Thanks for hooking up with Simple and in Season this month xxx
Thanks Katie. Aren't frittatas great? I seem to eat loads of them these days.
I've recently bought a spiriliser so I'm always on the lookout for new ideas to try as I'm mostly sticking to stirfrys at the moment. I've not tried goose eggs before as, like you said, you just don't seem to find them in the regular supermarkets. I'll have to take a trip to my local farmers market in the next few weeks and see if I can get hold of some, especially as I think yolk is the best bit of an egg so the big yolk sounds amazing!
Thanks Charlotte. I hope you manage to track down goose eggs…. they are a little bit different and fun to try. The yolks are for sure the best bit!
And you MUST try roasting some spiralized veg….. the flavours are so much more intense!
This looks beautiful! I have seen a few recipes with goose eggs in over the last week and I am really hoping I come across some soon as I'd love to try them. I like the idea of filling it with roasted spiralised vegetables. I often just stir fry the vegetables before adding the egg but this would be a lovely variation. Thank you so much for joining in with #CookOnceEatTwice as well.
Thanks Corina. It is definitely worth grabbing a couple of goose eggs and giving them a try if you see some. They are quite different to hens eggs.
And roasting the spiralized veg was quite a discovery…. the flavours were intensified and the texture was fab. x
Love the addition of cashews – I think they're my favourite nut in savoury cooking.
Thanks CC. I love cashews in cooking too. I think they always taste better that way than on their own!
What a gorgeous looking frittata! I love all the veggies you've used here #CookBlogShare
Thanks Mandy. It tasted amazing and so filling too! x