Chorizo, goat’s cheese and tomato frittata

Every teenager should be able to whip up a frittata before they leave school. It’s a brilliant basic recipe to have in your repertoire, a one-pan dish that will feed family and friends. It can, of course, be super simple with just a few fresh herbs and cheese – or you could go all out with some delicious chunky morsels of smoked fish or spicy sausage, goat’s cheese or roast bocconcini, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a picnic, or cut into cubes to serve with drinks. A frittata can be served directly from the pan for a rustic family meal. Frittata were originally cooked on the stove, but nowadays I prefer to bake it gently in the oven.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk in the salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh herbs and grated cheese. Carefully fold in the chorizo and tomatoes.

Melt the butter in a 22.5cm non-stick frying pan and when it starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Then arrange the goat cheese in blobs evenly over the top.

There are two cooking methods: Either turn down the heat as low as it will go and leave the eggs to cook gently on a heat diffuser mat for 12 minutes, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny. Then pop the pan under a pre-heated grill for 1 minute just to set the surface, but don’t let it brown. Or after an initial 3-4 minutes on the hob, transfer the pan to a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius/gas mark 3 for about 15-20 minutes, or until the frittata is just set. I prefer this method.

To turn out the frittata, slide a palette knife underneath to free it from the pan and carefully slide it onto a warm plate.

To serve, cut into wedges and arrange some rocket leaves on top. Accompany with a good green salad or perhaps a tomato and basil leaf salad.