ONE EGG, ONE MINUTE.

How the frittatine can save your lunch single-eggedly. You don’t even have to turn it over in the pan to cook the other side. And no, I’m not yolking.

This could not be more simple or more delicious, so why isn’t it EVERYWHERE?  Frittatine is like a very fine frittata for one, that cooks in less than a minute. Very low-commitment. Folded into a crusty bread roll with prosciutto and cheese, it’s the perfect one-hander lunch. Topped with said prosciutto and cheese and a handful of rocket, it’s an instant brunch.

My recipe, such as it is, lies below, and thank heavens for that, because you’d think variations of frittatine would be all over the interweb. But no, everyone does a big multi-egg frittata instead – the sort you start in a pan and finish in an oven, or have to invert out and then back in to the pan, or have to finish under the grill to set the top; all of which are difficult and require being wide-awake, sober or otherwise in control of all your senses.

The trick to this stupidly simple dish is to cover the pan. The whisked egg mixture is so thin that it cooks in less than a minute until lightly golden underneath and set on top.

The only other trick is to add a dash of milk to the egg, which makes it creamy and custardy, seemingly without diluting the richness of the egg.

Go forth into the world, little frittatine, and save everyone from trying too hard when they don’t really have to.

One-minute frittatine

Serves one

• 1 large egg

• 1 tbsp milk

• Sea salt to taste

• Half tsp butter or olive oil

1. Crack the egg into a small bowl, add milk and sea salt and whisk until blended.

2. Heat a small nonstick fry pan over gentle heat, add the butter or oil and swirl to coat the bottom.

3. Add the egg mixture and gently assist it to cover the base completely.

4. Place a lid or heatproof plate over the top and leave for 45 seconds.

5. Check in – has the top set? Then that’s it. Give the pan a little shake and slide the frittatine onto your plate.

Variations on a theme

• Throw some prosciutto and rocket on top and grate a bit of parmy over that, as shown above. I then tucked the whole thing into a buttered baguette while it was still warm, omg.

• Fry something in the pan first – diced bacon, or red onion or cooked and sliced potato or a couple of prawns and wilted kale or some roasted peppers or a handful of mushrooms or a little zucchini and mint - then add the egg.

• Add cheese to the eggs, or to the finished frittatine, or both. Current favourite: grated haloumi.

• Herbs, also excellent. Mint and coriander go particularly well with eggs. Or whisk a pinch of your favourite curry powder into the eggs and spoon a fresh coriander and mint chutney on top.

• Serve topped with green things -  peas, green beans, broccolini, asparagus, edamame – and a spoonful of herbed crème fraiche, or my creamy, garlicky, herby cervelle de canut.

• Top frittatine with sliced avocado and a dusting of roasted dried chilli, and serve on grilled sourdough.

Smother with LP’s smoked mortadella and roasted red peppers and roll it up.

• It’s late, you’re starving, but you’re still feeling civilised: add a dash of white wine to your eggs instead of milk, make the frittatine, roll it around smoked salmon and crème fraiche and scatter with caviar, which of course you have handy in the fridge.

• Make four or five frittatini and layer them on top of each other with tomato sugo, rocket and grated cheese inbetween. Serve with salumi for lunch.

• Slather with cream cheese and ham, roll up and pop into the kid’s lunchbox.

• Use the same technique when you need some omelette strips for fried rice or nasi goreng. Better still, serve the fried rice or nasi goreng on top of the frittatine and eat your way through it.

  

  You are just one minute away from stuffing a buttery baguette with smoked salmon and warm frittatine. That has to be a good thing.

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Thanks for reading – feel free to add a comment, or share with a friend, or subscribe for more Jill Dupleix Eats in your inbox every Thursday.  And special thanks to my right-hand man, Terry Durack, for making sure I always have a supply of beautiful eggs. He’s like my very own Maremma sheepdog, keeping an eye on things, getting them home safely and warning off predators by his very presence.

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I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which I work, live, cook and play; the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I fully support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to be enshrined in Australia’s Constitution. It’s about bloody time, folks.