Provencal Omelet Cake

A dish to prepare the day before

Provencal Omelet Cake

The filling for this celebratory centrepiece can be varied, depending on taste or whim. Chopped olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, grilled aubergine all work well for a vegetarian dish. Add chopped chicken or ham, for meat eaters.

Mix colours for the fillings, try yellow peppers added to the red peppers, green and black olives.

Serves 10

10 eggs
1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying omelets
2 courgettes, finely chopped
3 spring onions, thinkly sliced
4 roasted peppers finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

Filling

300g/10oz soft cheese (Ricotta, St Moret, Philadelphie)
3-4 tbsp mil
4 tbs snipped chives
2 tbs chopped basil

To Serve

Rocket
Shaved parmesan

METHOD

1. Break the eggs into two bowles, five eggs in each. Whisk lightly with a fork and add salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan, add the courgettes and spring onions and fry gently for about 10 mins, until softened. Cool, then stir into one bowl of eggs with a little seasoning. Gently fry the chopped red pepper, add to the other bowl of eggs with the garlic, chilli, salt and pepper.

2. Heat a little oil in a 20-23cm frying pan, preferably non stick. Pout the courgette egg mix into a measuring jug and pount about one third of the mixture into the pan, swirling it to cover the base of the pan. Cook until the egg is set and lightly browned underneath, then cover the pan with a plate, invert the omelet onto it, then slide it back into the pan to cook the other side.

Repeat with the remaining mix to make two more omelets, adding a little oil to the pan each time. Stack the omelets onto a plate.

Make three omelets in the same way with the red pepper mixture, then stack them on a separate place.

3. Beat the cheese to soften it, then gradually add the milk to make a spreadable consistency. Stir in the herbs and season to taste.

Line a 20-23cm deep cake tin with cling film (use a tin the same size as the frying pan). Select the best red pepper omelet and put in the tin, good side down. Spread with a think layer of cheese filling and cover with a courgette omelet. Repeat until all the omelets and filling are finished, finishing with an omelet. Flip the cling film over the omelet and chill for upt to 24 hours.

Serving

Invert the omelet onto a serving plate and peel off the cling film. Scatter grated parmesan over the top, decorate with a few leaves of rocket, a drizzle of olive oil and a little freshly ground black pepper. Serve cut into wedges.