The day before I had been fishing, although I had caught no sizeable fish for the pot I did manage to make some time to forage some fantastic greens from the nearby salt marsh and seawall. The rain started just as I arrived but that didn’t stop me, I knew where these veg lived and I was determined to find them. On the shopping list; marsh samphire, sea purslane, rock samphire and sea spinach.
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Prawn and Foraged Sea Vegetable Frittata Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients:
6 free range organic eggs
1 small red onion
1 green chilli
4 or 5 Jersey royal potatoes
15 - 20 king prawns
Small handful of marsh samphire (pieces about 5cm or 6cm in length)
Small handful of rock samphire (destalked and chopped in half)
Small handful of sea purslane (just the leaves)
Small handful of sea spinach (roughly chopped)
Small handful of podded fresh peas
Tbsp crème fraiche
2 tbsp milk
Maldon salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Looks like a lot of ingredients but it isn’t that complicated.. You need a large deep frying pan and the oven warming to 220 degrees.
Take the Jersey royals and slice into half centimetre slices. Boil a kettle and add to the frying pan get a heat under it. When warm add the potatoes and then the boiling water, season the water and boil the potatoes until tender (about 5 minutes) then drain and set aside.
In a jug crack the 6 eggs, using a fork whisk the eggs. Add the crème fraiche and milk, season generously and whisk until combined – also set aside.
Cut the onion in half and then proceed to cut into fine dice. Remove the seeds from the chilli and chop, again into fine dice.
Meanwhile put the now dry frying pan on the hob, add a good glug of olive oil and heat until ready to fry. Add the diced onions and chilli to the oil and cook until soft and sweet (not coloured), when done remove from the pan.
Now add a little more olive oil and fry the potatoes until they start to take colour but not brown, add the onions and chilli back to the pan and then add the samphires, sea purslane, sea spinach and peas, fry for thirty seconds and then add the egg mixture. Using a fork, move the mixture around so that you distribute the sea greens and potato a little better. Now add the prawns to the top of the frittata gently pushing them into the eggy mixture, make sure the king prawns are semi-submerged and evenly distributed in the pan. Place in the oven until just set (7 to 10 minutes should do it, depending on your oven).
Whilst it’s cooking prepare a quick green salad. I added pea shoots and mint to mine with a zingy lime dressing and buttered a couple of slices of granary bread.
… To the Frittata.
Seafood and eggs have an obvious affinity but the flavour of the ozone’y iron rich sea vegetables with the rich creamy eggs topped off with the soft plump sweet prawns is a perfect combination and simply outstanding. You must try it!
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