Loving the Leftovers – Artichoke Omelette (Frittata di Carciofi)

It’s not unusual to have leftover artichokes at this time of year in Italy … and whilst they are good to eat the following day at room temperature, it is equally tempting to muddle them up with some eggs in a frittata.  Take a look for yourselves.

Four carciofi alla romana on day 2.  Place the carciofi on a wooden board and roughly chop. Eight eggs bought at the farmers market … A close-up of the egg, chicken shit and all.  Please don’t be surprised!  Eggs that come straight from chickens that are allowed to cluck about on their legs often show visible traces of which canal they came through.  It’s called Nature.  It’s “normal”. Crack the eggs in the bowl … and then go and wash your hands.  Easy enough to do and well worth the extra taste and the extra health benefits that come from “proper” eggs, just as Mother Nature wanted them to be!  Beat the eggs and add 1 pinch of salt.Pour a little olive oil into a saucepan and switch on the heat.  Wait for the oil to heat up and then add the chopped artichokes.  They are already cooked but it’s a good idea to make them hot again before adding the beaten eggs.
In order to make a good frittata, you have to treat the omelette as if you were wanting to make scrambled eggs.  That is, you want to stir the egg mixture a little at first.  This is so the egg mixture can cook through faster, allowing for a more ‘elastic’ consistency. When the eggs have cooked enough on the bottom, and when you can detach the sides from the saucepan with a wooden spoon or spatula … Take the saucepan off the heat and place it on the counter.  Put a large plate over the saucepan and …. Flip the saucepan, so that the content can slide onto the plate. See? Now place the saucepan back onto the fire, and slide the uncooked side of the frittata back into it.  Cook it for the briefest of time … if you overcook it, the consistency will be dry and rubbery, quite bereft of tactile pleasure in the mouth.. Back on the plate, wipe the plate clean of any trace of grease or splatter.  Add a little sprig of something if you feel like it.  I was in the mood for mint.Serve warm or at room temperature.  Artichokes and eggs make an excellent culinary marriage!

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