Sunday morning leftovers: Salmon, Asparagus and Dill Frittata

To me, Sunday is the best day of the week to enjoy a leisurely brunch. Something about its lazy pace seems particularly suited to sitting down with good company, a mug of coffee and something delicious to eat. Back in my non-cooking university days, this ritual generally took the form of a meal at the pub around the corner from my apartment. My roommate and I would drag ourselves out of bed and make our way, boyfriends in tow, to where delicious homebaked muffins, unnaturally cheerful waiters and (on occasion) strong mimosas awaited us.

These days, Andrew and I are more likely to eat at home, which brings a slight complication to the matter. See, I like to start the week with a clean fridge, so for me, Sunday is also Leftover Day. You might think that leftovers seem incompatible with the goal of enjoying an indulgent midday meal with minimal effort, but you’d be wrong. The answer, as any cook worth her Maldon sea salt knows, is the humble frittata.

Quick, versatile and tasty, this Italian omelette is a great way to use up whatever you might have hanging around the fridge. Yesterday I had some particularly posh leftovers in mine, courtesy of my parents. They’d been visiting me in the UK for the past two weeks, and before they left on Saturday morning, left me with all the goodies they’d bought but hadn’t finished. These included a handful of blanched asparagus spears and a piece of grilled salmon that my mum had bought at Ottolenghi, a Mediterranean deli in North London. (I recommend their blog, particularly the recipe for mejadarah– it’s delicious.)

I also had some fresh eggs from the market, some dill in the crisper, and the remains of various bits of cheese. From this random selection of ingredients I managed to create a brunch that, embarrassingly, Andrew and I polished off in completion.

Salmon, Asparagus, and Dill Frittata

serves 3-4, unless you’re me

• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• salt and pepper
• 8-10 spears of asparagus, blanched and cut into 1″ pieces
• 125g cooked salmon, flaked
• 2 Tbs. roughly chopped dill, or to taste
• 2 Tbs. soft goat’s cheese (or more ricotta, if you prefer)

1. Crack the eggs into a large jug. Add the ricotta, salt, and pepper to taste, and whisk until the ricotta is mainly incorporated- only small pieces should be visible. Add the asparagus, salmon, and dill, and mix gently.
2. Heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat, in a 10″ oven-safe skillet that has a lid. When hot, add the egg mixture, briefly push it around to ensure a nice distribution of the good stuff, and turn the heat down to low.
3. Dot the goat’s cheese or ricotta over the top. Put the lid on the pan and cook for 8-12 minutes, until the frittata is mainly set, but still moist on top.
4. Remove lid, transfer pan to the oven, and cook under the preheated grill until just golden on top. Remove and serve immediately.