Cambodian Climbing Wattle Frittata Recipe for Pong Moan Chien Saom

Wash and dry the climbing wattle or sa’om, then, over a mixing bowl, remove the feathery leaves from the stalks by holding the tip of the stalk between your thumb and finger and running the fingers of the other hand down the stalk, taking care not to prick yourself on the tiny thorns.

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, then beat the eggs with a fork until well-combined, and pour the beaten eggs into the mixing bowl with the sa’om, thoroughly combining it all.

Heat a tablespoon of neutral cooking oil into a Japanese tamago pan, which is perfect for this job, then transfer half the egg and climbing wattle mixture into the pan, and cook on medium heat as you would a frittata.

Once the egg mixture has started to firm up, use a spatula to press down on it to squeeze out the eggy juices, and lift and tilt the pan.

When the edges of your climbing wattle frittata have come away from the pan and the top has cooked, it’s ready. If the edges have started to brown, and the top is not yet cooked, best to take it off the heat and finish it under a grill.

Once done, carefully run a fish slice, knife or spatula around the edge of the frittata to ensure it isn’t sticking to the sides, slide it out of the the pan and onto a cutting board, and repeat with the remaining mixture.

Slice the frittata into thirds and then halves to get 8 small cakes per frittata, and serve with fish sauce and steamed rice.