Flemish Asparagus and Ham Frittata
- Savory
- French
- Stovetop
- Oven
A golden stovetop frittata with tender white asparagus, salty ham and soft new potatoes, finished with a glossy butter sauce and fresh parsley.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 30
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Blanching · Sautéing
Instructions
-
Peel the white asparagus with a vegetable peeler, snapping off the woody ends, and cut the spears into 4 cm lengths. Scrub the new potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes.
~10 min
White asparagus has a tough, bitter skin that must be peeled away, while the woody end snaps exactly where the tender stalk begins.
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the new potatoes and cook for 8 minutes, then add the white asparagus and cook for 6 more minutes, until both are just tender when pierced with a knife. Drain well.
~8 min
Starting the potatoes first evens out cooking times, since dense potatoes take longer than delicate asparagus spears to become tender.
Blanching Boil the potatoes and asparagus only until a knife slides in with slight resistance; overcooking makes them waterlogged and mushy before they hit the pan.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the vegetables cook, crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, add 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper, and whisk until smooth. Cut the ham into 1 cm strips and chop the parsley.
~3 min
Whisking until completely smooth breaks up the egg whites so the frittata sets into an even, tender curd rather than streaks.
-
Melt 20 g of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add the ham and cook for 2 minutes until it smells nutty, then add the drained new potatoes and white asparagus and toss for 1 minute.
~3 min
Sautéing the ham in butter renders its fat and browns it slightly, building a savoury base that flavours the whole frittata.
Sautéing Keep the heat at medium and stir so the ham and vegetables colour evenly without scorching; a nutty aroma means the butter is browning, not burning.
-
Pour the eggs over the vegetables, spread them evenly with a spatula and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre is barely wobbly.
~10 min
Gentle heat lets the egg proteins set slowly and evenly, so the base stays pale and soft instead of browning and turning rubbery.
Keep the heat medium-low for the eggs: high heat browns the base before the centre sets, which makes the frittata rubbery.
-
Melt the remaining 30 g butter in a small pan until foaming, then stir in the parsley and a pinch of salt. Slide the frittata onto a board, spoon the parsley butter over the top and cut into wedges.
~3 min
Foaming butter has driven off its water and tastes nutty; adding parsley off the heat keeps it bright green rather than dull.
