Kimchi Bratwurst Frittata. It sounds like a menu item from a new hip-joint in downtown LA. Lately, Katie and I have been experimenting with frittatas on Sundays. Feels great to wake-up past 11, take a sip of cheap coffee and make a gourmet frittata.
The first key ingredient is aged Kimchi. As Kimchi ferments, it begins to smell and taste more sour. That's not a bad thing though. The longer it ferments, the tastier it becomes. In fact, many cooks prefer to used aged Kimchi in stews, stir-frys and Korean pancakes. (Note: You can use fresh Kimchi in this frittata as well).
Kimchi's husband - if we can call it that - is pork. So many Korean dishes that pair the two together. The obvious choice would be bacon. But when I opened my fridge, I also found bratwurst. I bought it for the Federer vs. Chung Hyeon game (Australian Open 2018 Semifinals). It was the first time a Korean had made it to the Semi-Finals of a tennis grand slam, and I was really excited! Sadly, the match ended so quick. Just enough time to eat one bratwurst haha!
Then I threw some perilla leaves in. Stir-fried everything and covered it with eggs. Katie and I were very impressed by how well the flavors complemented each other. The spiciness of the kimchi. The saltiness of the bratwurst. The herbal kick of the perilla leaves. A good harmony.
So now, we introduce our Kimchi Bratwurst Frittata! Of course, feel free to substitute any of the veggies or meat.
The important step of making frittata is finding the right person to eat it with. Preferably, someone who will help you make it 🙂
Kimchi Bratwurst Frittata - with Perilla Leaf Salad
Ingredients
- Eggs - 4
- Salt - few shakes
- Kimchi - ½ cup Aged Kimchi tastes better!
- Potato - 1 whole Size of your palm
- Onion - ½ whole
- Bratwurst Sausage - 1 Chorizo, Italian Sausage also works well
- Bacon - 2 strips optional
- Perilla leaves - 5
- Baby Greens - handful
Simple Vinaigrette
- Olive oil - 3 Tablespoon
- Soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice - ½ teaspoon
- Salt - few shakes
- Black pepper - few shakes
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Use your scissors to chop the Kimchi into small pieces. Measure about ½ cup of the chopped Kimchi and set aside. Cut bratwurst into small circles. Cut bacon into thin strips. And cut your onion and potatoes into thin cuts as well.
- Make your salad topping: Snap the stems off the perilla leaves with your fingers and roll it into a bundle. Use your knife and cut it into thin strips. Then take out a handful of baby greens and set aside for your salad
- Make salad dressing: Mix all of the listed ingredients under "simple vinaigrette". Or use any store-bought vinaigrette sauce instead.
- Crack eggs and whisk them together. Season with a few shakes of salt. Set aside.
Make Frittata
- If you have an oven, preheat it to 220C (425 F).
- Find a non-stick frying pan with a cooking surface about the size of your hands (reference video). It should also have walls that are at least a few inches (2 inches) in height. Put some oil in the frying pan and place on a medium heat.
- Once hot, place in bacon and bratwurst. Cook the bratwurst pieces until you get some browning on the edges. Then add in the potatoes and onion pieces. Once the potato get some browning on the edges, add in the kimchi. Stir-fry everything until the kimchi start to wilt and get some browning on them as well.
- Then move the stir-fried ingredients from the frying pan to a plate. Give your frying pan a quick wash to get rid of the burnt Kimchi residue. Put the clean frying pan back on the stove. Place on a medium-low heat this time. Put it some oil and wait until it gets hot.
- Once hot, place the stir-fried mix back in. Then slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a circular motion around the pan. Move the pan around so you get all of the stir-fry evenly coated. Put a lid on the frying pan and let it cook for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute, take off the lid and use your spatula to slide around the edge. This will keep the edges from sticking to the frying pan.
- Now, if you have a oven, stick it in the hot oven (without the lid) for a few minutes. Take out when the top of the frittata is fully cooked through.
- If you do not have an oven, place your stove-top to a low heat. Put the lid back on and let it cook on the low heat for 6-8 minutes. Keep an eye on it and turn off the heat when the top of the frittata is fully cooked through.
Plate frittata
- Carefully slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Add the sliced perilla leaf and baby greens onto the top of the frittata. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the vinaigrette sauce on top. Cut out a slice for yourself and your partner. Enjoy!
Notes
- Serving Size: 2 people
- If you are vegetarian: Replace sausage and bacon with 2 or 3 different local mushrooms
- The best way is to use an oven!
- Watch the video below for more details
RistoR. says
Really delicious Dan-Yul!