Mushroom Crowd

Frittata da Uovo con Farina di Ceci, Formaggio e Funghi "Enoki"
Garbanzo Flour, Egg and Cheese Curd Omelette with Enoki Mushrooms

It was an experiment... there was not really any risk involved, but still, I had no way of knowing how it would turn out. Fortunately and obviously I lived to tell the tale! What on earth is he talking about is what you are asking yourself- am I correct? Well let me tell you- even though it says in the heading to this recipe that it is an omelette... it isn't. It isn't a pancake either. Or a flat bread. It is what it is, it was rather tasty- and the details are right here for you to read about!

Wondering what to do with these delicious Enoki mushrooms, I decided a savory pancake or omelette would be a good way to keep it simple and to let their own distinctive flavor steal the show. And then suddenly, I had the idea of adding my newly acquired garbanzo bean or chick-pea flour to the batter, to give it a little more body and structure, and a more satisfying taste and texture.

I didn't want the egg/flour mix to end up being too dense, so I added some cheese curds into the mix, that I had left over from yesterday. So, for this single serving, I used 1 egg, 2 level tablespoons of chick-pea flour and 2 tablespoons of cheese curds. I whisked them together and added caraway seeds, salt, pepper and nutmeg and let the batter sit for 5-6 minutes whilst I prepared the mushrooms.

I sautéed the mushrooms in a tiny amount of clarified butter, with a pinch of salt and a little freshly ground pepper at a moderate heat. Once they became soft and start to brown slightly, I removed them from the frying pan and poured in the batter mix.

Once the bottom of the batter had set, I laid the mushrooms out evenly on top whilst it was still soft. I added some finely sliced spring onion, grated a little fresh nutmeg over it and finished it off in a pre-heated oven, under the broiler for 2 minutes, until it was a lovely golden brown.

I sprinkled the finished (for want of a better word, "omelette"), with finely chopped chives and roasted paprika flakes and enjoyed it very hot and straight from the oven! A simple and satisfying, meat-free snack, which would make a perfect lunch or a light supper... I do hope you like it!