Courgette Flower Omelette with Ricotta & Tarragon
Courgettes are one of the many vegetables that we know and love that were actually first grown in Mexico. Over there, they are so plentiful that their flowers are sold in great big bundles in all the markets and they are eaten in cheesy quesadillas at every other street food stand. They look wonderful laid out on an omelette - it’s a beautiful and simple lunch. Just use courgettes if you are struggling to get hold of the flowers.
Ingredients
4-5 courgette flowers
5 eggs
100ml double cream
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
a small handful of tarragon, chopped
sea salt and black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
a small knob of butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 courgettes, diced into 1cm cubes
50g ricotta, crumbled
Recipe
Preheat your grill to its highest setting. To prepare the courgette flowers, detach the stalks and cube as with the other courgettes. Gently peel back the petals of the courgette flowers and remove the stamen. Tear down one side of a petal so that you can flatten out the flower in a half-moon shape.
Lightly whisk the eggs and cream together, add the Parmesan and chopped tarragon and season well with pepper and a little salt (Parmesan is already pretty salty).
Heat a 26cm frying pan and when it is hot, add the olive oil and butter. When the fat is sizzling, add the onion and courgettes and fry over a medium heat until the onion has turned soft and translucent and the courgette a pale golden colour, but still with a bit of bite. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat right up and when the pan is really hot, pour in the egg mixture, let it cook a little, then drag the mixture from the sides of the pan to the centre with a palette knife. Place the flowers on top in a circular pattern, crumble the ricotta over them and place under the grill. The ricotta will turn a slight golden colour, but the omelette should still be a little wet in the middle. Either serve from the pan or carefully slide on to a large plate. Delicious with crusty bread and a salad.