Escarole Frittata

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Escarole Frittata

I first tasted escarole (also called curly endive) when I was backpacking around Italy in the late ’80s and stayed with a family in Campania; my hostess showed me how to cook it with pine nuts and raisins (scarole di Natale). In Naples it’s often cooked with garlic, anchovies, capers and olives as a filling for a pie called pizza di scarola; I like it as a simple escarole frittata. Escarole is often sold in bunches of two heads, which is enough for this dish. Separate the small pale leaves for a salad, such as Manchego, fennel and orange or salade Lyonnaise (see video below), and wash them all thoroughly as they’re usually quite gritty. Frittata is a close cousin to Spanish tortilla, so with this dish I was inspired to try Bodegas Cota45 UBE de Uberrima Carrascal from Sanlucar de Barrameda. Made from three different types of palomino, it’s basically an unfortified Manzanilla, right down to the dry chalkiness and slight hint of salt – and it’s a great match for escarole frittata.

Serves 6

Ingredients
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 red onions, finely chopped
  • 600g curly endive, washed well and roughly chopped
  • Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 eggs
  • ⅓ cup water
  • Tomato salad, for serving
  • Crusty bread, for serving
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Heat ⅓ cup of the oil in a large, high-sided frying pan.
  3. Add onion and a generous dash of salt and cook over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, until starting to colour.
  4. Add escarole and cook, covered and stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until tender, adding it in batches if necessary as each lot wilts to make room for more.
  5. Whisk eggs and water together, add escarole and a generous grind of pepper and stir well.
  6. Add remaining oil to an oven-proof high-sided frying pan (large enough to hold the mixture to a depth of about 2cm) and swirl it around to coat the base and sides well.
  7. Tip the egg mixture into the pan and shake gently to distribute the escarole as evenly as possible.
  8. Cook, covered, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, until sides are set.
  9. Place in oven and cook for a further 10 minutes or so, until centre is set and top has coloured slightly.
  10. Serve escarole frittata in wedges with tomato salad and bread.
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Salade Lyonnaise

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What Other Travellers Say

Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Relaxed, organised and well-paced – a wonderful bespoke small group tour, starting in Rome, then travelling down the Amalfi Coast to stay at a family estate where we were treated like old friends. This tour included some hidden gems too, notably on our way to Matera, a fascinating town built into the side of a mountain. We finished with Naples and Pompeii – with plenty of wine and more new tastes. Roberta is a specialist and very personable as she hosts and explains every detail of the food and wine experience.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I’ve been on three of Roberta’s food and wine tours so far and each one has been an amazing well-organised experience. From historic Rome and Pompeii to the spectacular Amalfi Coast, remarkable Venice and the charming villages of Switzerland, each tour offers something special. Then there’s the food in fabulous places where you can truly eat like a local. I highly recommend Roberta’s tours to anyone who wants to discover inspired travel through great food, wine and company. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Starting in Rome then spending time on the Amalfi Coast and further south before heading back to Rome for the last couple of days made for a nice ‘round trip’. Roberta’s choice of eateries was excellent with some very enjoyable meals – and a nice mix of other activities, like vineyard visits, between meals. Everything was very well organised: transport, nice hotels in close proximity to most activities, and a relaxed pace with enough time to follow your nose if that took your fancy. A very worthwhile tour and I’m already looking forward to another!
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
I absolutely recommend Roberta’s Southern Italy tour! We’ve always been independent travellers so were a little apprehensive – by day 2 we knew we’d made a great decision! Roberta knows people and places far from the tourist trail so we visited wineries where we were always invited for lunch as well as wine-tasting, a family lemon grove high on the Amalfi Coast and a 3rd generation cheesemaker. We stayed in a stunning cave hotel in Matera and a gorgeous family hotel in Scala – and book-ended the tour with the vibrancy of Rome. So many highlights, such a brilliant experience. We will do another tour with Roberta.
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