The shoots add a great pattern to the eggs.
A good hop shoot frittata is one of the first things I’ll make in spring when the hop shoots start to come up outside the house–a good indicator that I need to go check my wild patch and take a look at their progress. Hop shoots are good for all kinds of things, but the best recipes are simple things, easy things without too much fuss. A frittata is popular with lots of people who harvest hop shoots–it’s just a great way to have them.
Hop shoots at the perfect stage for harvesting. We grow them on a trellis on the side of the house.
A quick dip in some water, or just a gentle saute in a pan is usually all I do to the shoots, and that’s what I recommend in the frittata–browning some bacon to give off some fat, then wilting the shoots quickly in it before I add a few eggs and herbs. The shoots, in all their wrangly ropey glory give the finished product a really special look–just make sure you’re only using the most tender parts of the shoots, which can vary depending on when you’re picking them.
Hop Shoot Frittata
Ingredients
- 2 oz fresh hop shoots tender portions only
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 oz bacon optional
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh cut chives or a combination of fresh chopped herbs like parsley, chives, dill, cilantro, etc
- Chive blossoms to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300. Beat the eggs, chopped herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the cream and reserve. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet or similar, heat the bacon and render the fat.
- When the bacon fat is rendered out, add the hop shoots, cover the pan and cook on medium heat, just to wilt them. Season with a touch of salt.
- Add the egg-herb mix and cook, stirring and twirling the pan around to distribute the egg.
- Put the pan in the oven for just a minute or two to dry out the top, and serve immediately just as the egg finishes setting. Garnish with the chive blossoms, if using.
Leave a Reply