Ajja bil Khodra (Maghrebi Vegetable Frittata)

La storia di questo piatto

In the Maghreb, ajja is the everyday egg dish of the home table, a way of gathering the garden's greens into one golden round. This version leans on zucchini, spinach and onion, with fresh cheese folded in and cumin and coriander lending the warmth of the region's kitchens.

Ingredienti

• 8 unit Eggs
• 400 g Medium zucchini
• 200 g Fresh spinach
• 1 unit Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 150 g Fresh cheese (such as jben or feta)
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
• 20 g Fresh chopped parsley
• 20 g Fresh chopped coriander
• 4 tablespoons Olive oil
• 5 g Fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 1/2 unit Lemon

Preparazione

1. Come, let's start with the vegetables. Cut the zucchini into small dice, slice the onion and finely chop the garlic, setting it aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan over medium heat, until a small piece of onion sizzles gently on contact. Add the onion and let it soften slowly for about 8 minutes, until golden and translucent. It should smell sweet and not darken: if it starts to burn, lower the heat.
2. Add the zucchini, season with 3 g of salt and raise the heat to medium-high. Sauté for about 8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and spinach only in the last minute: the spinach should wilt while staying dark and glossy, and the garlic must not burn and turn bitter. Remove from the heat and tip everything into a colander. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes, then squeeze well, pressing with a spoon or your hands: any water left behind will spoil the golden crust.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until the colour is uniform and slightly frothy. Add the cumin, ground coriander, pepper, the remaining 2 g of salt (only a little, since the cheese is already salty), and the fresh parsley and coriander. Mix calmly. Fold in the squeezed vegetables and crumble the fresh cheese into the mixture by hand, leaving it in irregular pieces: those little morsels provide the creamy surprise.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a 26-28 cm non-stick pan over medium-low heat. The oil should be well heated but not smoking. Pour in the mixture, level it with the back of a spoon and cover with a lid. Cook without touching for about 10-12 minutes, until the edges pull away on their own and the bottom is golden. The centre should be nearly set, still slightly moist on the surface. At this point choose: either proceed to the next step and flip the frittata, or, if you prefer not to turn it, place the pan (with an oven-safe handle) under the grill for 3-4 minutes until the surface is golden, and skip step 5.
5. Now the delicate moment (only if you did not use the grill). Cover the pan with a large plate, flip decisively and slide the frittata back into the pan uncooked side down. Cook over medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes, until this side is golden too and the centre is firm to the touch. If you fear turning it whole, cut it in half and turn the two pieces separately: no shame in that, the important thing is that it reaches the table good.
6. Let the ajja rest off the heat for about 5 minutes: it settles and cuts much more cleanly. Squeeze over the juice of half a fresh lemon, which brightens it and makes the dish sing. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.