Purple Potato and Stinging Nettle Frittata

I’ve really been enjoying Stinging Nettles lately, so when I was planning the menu for our much-belated housewarming party, I decided to come up with some sort of recipe that used them. I’d seen a spinach and potato frittata recipe in one of my cookbooks, so I decided to adapt that for the party.

Stinging Nettle Frittata

A few words about today’s ingredients. The potatoes came from Olsen Farms, the eggs from Skagit River Ranch, and the nettles were from Foraged and Found. Nash ‘s Organic Produce has been offering up nettles lately as well. If you wanted more meat in this frittata, you could always cook some bacon or chorizo to add as well. 

Stinging Nettle and Purple Potato Frittata

• 4-5 small purple potatoes
• 6-7 eggs
• 5 Tbsp butter, divided
• 1/2 bag nettles (about 6-8 oz)
• Smoked sea salt
• 1 large onion

First, caramelize the onion. This will take a good half an hour, so plan ahead. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut the onion into thin slices. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a skillet with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and cook the onions on medium heat, stirring regularly, until they are golden brown and caramelized. 

Next, cook the nettles. Set a large pot of water to boil. When it is fully boiling, use tongs or kitchen gloves to transfer the nettles to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes and drain. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Slice the potatoes thinly. In a large oven proof skillet or small Dutch oven, melt the last 3 Tbsp of butter. Add the potatoes and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until the potatoes have softened a bit and are just starting to brown. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Arrange the potatoes in a layer, covering the pan. 

Next, add the nettles and arrange the caramelized onions over the top. 

Season the top of the onions with salt and pepper. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. 

Pour the beaten eggs over the potato-nettle-onion mixture. 

Slide the whole pan into the oven and bake until the egg is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. 

Remove, cool just slightly, and slice. Serve warm or cold. 

Results: I was a bit worried about this recipe since I hadn’t tested it ahead of time. However, the frittata bites went quickly and the few leftover bites we had weent into the fridge for breakfast the next day. The purple potatoes were very striking against the dark green nettles. You could easily use kale or spinach in place of the nettles. Next time, I will probably mince some dried hot peppers and fold that into the egg mixture for a bit more heat. These would be excellent for breakfasts as well.