FUSS-FREE BACON & FETA FRITTATA
By Sarah Graham @ sarahgrahamfood
This is an extract from Simple Suppers: A Year of Easy & Delicious Family Dinners by Sarah Graham, published by Penguin Random House South Africa, retailing at R420.
Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS
• 150g bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 handfuls( about 100g) baby spinach, finely chopped
• 6 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 cup full cream milk
• ½ cup crumbed feta or soft goat’ s milk cheese, or cheddar, grated
• salt & black pepper, to taste
To serve:
• salad greens, dressed
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 190 ° C.
2. Fry the bacon in a little olive oil in a medium-sized ovenproof pan for 3 – 4 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.
3. Beat the eggs and milk together and pour into the pan. Add the cheese and seasoning.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly, then serve.
VARIATIONS: Use slivers of smoked salmon instead of bacon, which will also shorten the cooking time, as you only need to wilt the spinach before baking.
Divide the mixture among the holes of a muffin tray to make a tasty snack or lunchbox filler.
ESSENTIAL RECIPES- PORK
STUFFED PORK BELLY PORCHETTA WITH CRISPY CRACKLING
By SA Pork @ sa _ pork
Served with lashings of gravy and all the trimmings, this crackling-coated pork belly roast with its savoury filling will be the toast of your festive table!
Serves: 10 INGREDIENTS
• 2.5kg boneless pork belly, skin on
• salt & pepper
• 1kg( about 16) fresh pork sausages with rosemary or sage
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, veins removed & leaves blanched
• 15ml Dijon mustard
• 100g cranberries, soaked in sherry
• 100g pistachios, shelled & coarsely chopped
METHOD
1. Using a sharp paring knife, score the pork skin about 1cm apart across the width of the meat( or ask your butcher to do this). Rub generously with salt.
2. Place the scored pork belly skin-side up on a clean surface. Cut horizontally through the middle without slicing all the way through, then fold the meat open. 3. Arrange a layer of blanched spinach on one half of the meat. Remove the casings from half the sausages and spread the sausage meat evenly over the spinach. Fold the top half of the butterflied belly back over the filling.
4. Lay 30cm lengths of kitchen string 2cm apart on a board. Place the stuffed belly skinside down on top of the strings. Spread the surface with Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the casings from the remaining sausages and spread the sausage meat over the centre. Scatter with pistachios and cranberries.
6. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Roll the belly up tightly around the filling and secure with the string. Weigh the roll to calculate cooking time: 25 minutes per 500g plus an extra 20 minutes.
7. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes at 220 ° C to crisp the skin, then reduce the oven to 180 ° C and roast for the calculated time. For extra crackling, finish under the grill, keeping a close eye so it doesn’ t burn.
8. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes.
9. Discard the string, slice thinly and serve with cranberryspiked gravy, roast potatoes and steamed greens.
did you know?
Porchetta comes from central Italy, where it was once roasted whole over open flames until the skin turned perfectly crisp. The secret lies in slow roasting to melt the fat, then finishing with high heat for golden crackling. Always dry the skin well before seasoning, since moisture ruins crispness. Rolling the belly tightly helps the flavours combine and keeps the meat juicy. Resting it after cooking is essential so the juices redistribute evenly. Leftovers are delicious cold in crusty bread with a spoon of mustard or apple chutney for a simple, rich sandwich.
58 | Summer 2025 / 26 • essentialflavours. co. za