Seamus Mullen: The Pre-Ride Frittata
“This is gonna be a great breakfast”
Seamus Mullen moves through his Pawling, New York kitchen with the same driving energy that defines his riding. Steady. He cracks eggs into a bowl before whisking- the foundation of a ground lamb frittata to be topped with fresh herbs and finishing salt. It’s a far cry from the hotel oatmeal and breakfast bars that typically undergird a riding group. “Food should take time. It shouldn’t be cheap, both financially and emotionally,” Seamus explains dropping a pinch of seasoning into the mixture and removing ground meat, lightly browned, from a cast iron skillet.
Cyclists are notorious for careful metrics and calculation, but Seamus’s take is immersive, slower and more driven at healthy habits.
“There’s no shortcut to making good food. You have to start with good ingredients. Eating whole foods, as many vegetables as you can, eating good fat foods. I don’t count calories,” Seamus describes.
Seamus Mullen’s Pre-Ride Breakfast Frittata
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon za’atar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces ground lamb
- Kosher salt (Jacobsen Salt is Seamus's pick.)
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, plus more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby kale, tough stems removed
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup torn basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
- Mild red pepper flakes and more torn herbs (for serving)
- Preheat oven to 400°. Combine garlic, za’atar, 1 Tbsp. oil, 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, and 1 tsp. lemon juice in a small bowl. Add lamb, season with salt, and mix well.
- Gently whisk eggs and ¼ cup yogurt in a medium bowl; season with salt and black pepper. Stir in scallions, kale, cilantro, feta, basil, and tarragon.
- Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add small pinches of lamb mixture evenly across skillet and cook, undisturbed, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up clumps with a spoon, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
- Pour in egg mixture and gently shake pan to distribute. Cook, pulling in edges with a rubber spatula to keep them from sticking to sides of pan and shaking pan occasionally, until edge of frittata has set evenly, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to oven and bake frittata until top is set but a small 1" circle of egg in the center still wobbles when shaken, 12–14 minutes.
- Dollop with yogurt, sprinkle with red pepper, and top with lemon zest and herbs. Serve right out of skillet.