CHEESE & KIMCHI OMELETTE
A brilliantly tangy breakfast, lunch or quick dinner
I really want to like kimchi. It is one of a handful of fermented foods – including kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut – that have been elevated to superfood status over the past few years. We’re frequently told that eating them is essential for good gut health, can help with weight management and may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Made from fermented vegetables (most commonly cabbage along with spring onion, garlic, ginger and chilli), it is a traditional Korean condiment that is now sold in pretty much
Kimchi’s lovely umami hit cuts through rich foods
every major supermarket. I’ve tried a lot of different brands,
I’ve even made a batch myself and while each tastes slightly different, I think it’s fair to describe it generally as tangy, punchy and a little bit spicy. It took me a while to realise it was a little too intense for me to enjoy just as a side dish, but I have discovered that it can be fantastic when used in cooking.
Kimchi is excellent in a toasted cheese sandwich. With a sharp pickle-like quality, it is great at cutting through rich foods.
It’s also brilliant in the cheese omelette recipe here, and adds a whack of flavour to a pork burger. It brings a lovely umami hit to fried rice and noodles and I love to stir a little into brothy Asian-style soups just before serving. I should add that high heat will kill off some of the good probiotics, so always try to add it at the very end of cooking.
METHOD
Heat a large knob of butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and fry for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Tip into a sieve and press to extract as much liquid as possible, then set aside.
Beat the eggs together with a little salt and pepper. Heat a small knob of butter in a smaller (ideally 20cm nonstick) frying pan over a medium heat. Add ¼ of the eggs and cook gently, swirling the uncooked mixture to the edges, for 2-3 minutes until almost set.
Sprinkle with ¼ of the cheese and allow to melt for a moment. Next scatter ¼ of the spinach and ¼ of the kimchi over one half of the omelette.
Fold over the omelette and leave to set for 1 minute, then transfer to a plate. Repeat to cook the remaining omelettes. Serve with toasted and buttered sourdough.