The heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed temperatures here in rural Andalucía up to 43°C, and nobody wants to add heat to the house. Fortunately, I've got an outdoor kitchen, and today I'm in the mood for a courgette and cheddar frittata – no meat, but plenty of cheese. Courgettes are everywhere at the moment, so I'm using a small one from the batch I bought to make courgette and feta gazpacho. I've got extra-mature cheddar, and although I'm out of Parmesan, I do have a hard cheese I picked up without paying much attention to the label.

A courgette cheddar frittata for one, served with a simple tomato salad – and a little space reserved for HP Sauce.

My trusty 20 cm cast-iron skillet has been with me for nearly a quarter of a century. It came to me via my ex and late father-in-law, who was a big wig at the locally famous Bredbury Hall & Country Club – a hotel, restaurant and nightlife venue in Bredbury, Stockport – just before I departed for France with his daughter, where we purchased a modest hotel in need of much renovation in 2002. So the skillet has been in my possession for 24 years, and it had been well used before that. It's perfect for a courgette frittata for one. In this heat, cooking outside makes a cast-iron frittata feel like the only sensible option – quick, simple, and no extra heat added indoors. It's perfect for a courgette cheddar frittata for one.

If eggs are your thing in this kind of weather, I've covered them a couple of other ways too – my perfect scrambled eggs for something even quicker, or a tortilla de patatas if you want the classic Spanish version with potato instead of courgette.

Ingredients - Making the Courgette Cheddar Frittata

• Courgette – 1 small, grated and well-squeezed
• Onion – ½, grated and well-squeezed
• Garlic – 1 clove, minced
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Eggs – 3 large
• Cheddar – 40–50 g extra-mature, grated
• Hard cheese – a small handful, finely grated, for finishing
• Mint – small handful, finely chopped
• Smoked paprika – ½ tsp
• Sea salt and pepper – to taste
• Lemon juice – 1–2 tsp

Grated courgette and onion, well squeezed, in the skillet ready to cook.

Method - How to Make This Courgette Cheddar Frittata in a Cast-Iron Skillet

1. Heat the skillet over medium-high and add the olive oil.
2. Cook the vegetables – add the squeezed courgette and onion, browning them for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden.
3. Add aromatics – stir in the garlic and smoked paprika; cook for 30 seconds. Season with sea salt and pepper.
4. Whisk the eggs – combine eggs with cheddar, mint and lemon juice.
5. Pour in the mixture – reduce the heat to medium-low and let the frittata cook undisturbed for 6–7 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre is almost firm.
6. Finish with hard cheese – sprinkle the grated hard cheese evenly over the top.
7. Brown the top – use a flame gun, held 20–25 cm above the surface, moving constantly until the cheese melts and browns.
8. Rest briefly – leave the frittata for one minute so it firms up before slicing.

Fresh from the flame gun – the hard cheese topping browned and bubbling.

You might be wondering what that empty space is for on the right of the plate. Not more salad – that's for a dollop of HP Sauce, a proper British classic now made in the Netherlands, but still exactly as it should be.

This courgette cheddar frittata is best eaten straight from the skillet while the cheese is still bubbling.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper frittata, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef