The frittata I had this morning for breakfast was so good, and so easy, that I decided I really should add this to my blog (as I said I would from time to time). I've always thought it a help to know where you're headed when starting a recipe, so you know what the end result is supposed to look like and to have no surprises along the way, to both distract, and in some cases, frighten you. So to explain: a frittata is just a peasant omelet, using eggs to hold the other ingredients in place.
In a classic omelet, you start with the eggs, scrambled with a fork, and pour the eggs into a very hot, buttered pan best used only for omelets. Then you madly stir the eggs with a fork in one hand, in order to lift the curds, and shake the pan with the other hand - no mean feat in itself - in order to keep the eggs from sticking to the pan. One of the reasons for using an omelet pan only for omelets, and never washing it but only wiping it out, is to preserve the pan's surface, in order to keep the eggs from sticking. And then, just as the eggs are almost done, you add the filling - cheese, ham, onions, tomatoes, whatever - fold the omelet over onto itself and fold it over again as you slides it off onto a plate. The heat of the folded eggs will incorporate the filling, hopefully melting any cheese, and cook any remaining runny egg.The whole technique requires some practice but is doable and not so hard once you get the hang of it. (It's a little like rubbing your tummy and the top of your head all at the same time but in opposite directions. But you learned how to do this when you were ten years old.)
A frittata, on the other hand, starts with the ingredients. You can use the afrementioned ingredients, or use you own imagination. I like frittatas because they are a tasty vehicle for cleaning out my refrigerator. This morning I used some desultory red potatoes left over from a French potato salad, some Canadian bacon long past its prime, some green onions sadly wilting from their green ends (I peeled the out layers from the white ends) and a smattering of parmesan cheese left over from a mushroom lasagna. First I put a lot of margarine, or butter, into the pan to keep the ingredients from sticking. Then I chopped the scallions - but you could certainly use chpped onions or shallots - and tossed them into the pan with the chopped potatoes. The secret to making that nice crispy crust on the potatoes is to leave them alone for a few minutes before turning them over or stirring them around. After that, I tossed in the chopped Canadian bacon and mixed that in. Then I scrambled the eggs - I used four - in a dish and poured the whole thing over the top of what was already in the pan, making sure the ingredients were well spread-out so they would be consistently throughout the finished frittata. I found some dill in my vegetable bin and chopped a little of that which I sprinkled, with the parmesan cheese over the eggs, which started to cook immediately. In order to encourage the cooking, I tilted the pan and let the runny eggs flow into the empty edges of the pan - someone once said, "putting eggs where eggs are not," just to get the eggs mostly cooked. This will take only a minute or two. When the frittata was looking reasonably solid, but the eggs were still moist and glistening on top, I shoved the whole pan into a preheated 350 degree oven for a minute or two until the eggs were thoroughly cooked on top. The pan should ideally be a seasoned iron skillet but it can be any kind of skillet so long as it's oven-proof. Be careful not to cook the eggs too long or the frittata will burn on the bottom. And be sure to use a pot holder when you remove the skillet from the oven. I missed this once and burned one whole hand rather badly.
Once the frittata is done, take it out of the oven and then cut it into however many sections you want, ideally four, loosen it around the edges with a spatula and voila, you have a quarter of a circle of frittata, sort of l ike a quarter circle of pizza. As I said, this is a great Sunday breakfast, using up the leftovers from a Saturday night dinner party. Don't be afraid to use your imagination. Almost any ingredients will do. Frittata. Just a peasant omelet. But easier to make and lots more fun.
In a classic omelet, you start with the eggs, scrambled with a fork, and pour the eggs into a very hot, buttered pan best used only for omelets. Then you madly stir the eggs with a fork in one hand, in order to lift the curds, and shake the pan with the other hand - no mean feat in itself - in order to keep the eggs from sticking to the pan. One of the reasons for using an omelet pan only for omelets, and never washing it but only wiping it out, is to preserve the pan's surface, in order to keep the eggs from sticking. And then, just as the eggs are almost done, you add the filling - cheese, ham, onions, tomatoes, whatever - fold the omelet over onto itself and fold it over again as you slides it off onto a plate. The heat of the folded eggs will incorporate the filling, hopefully melting any cheese, and cook any remaining runny egg.The whole technique requires some practice but is doable and not so hard once you get the hang of it. (It's a little like rubbing your tummy and the top of your head all at the same time but in opposite directions. But you learned how to do this when you were ten years old.)
A frittata, on the other hand, starts with the ingredients. You can use the afrementioned ingredients, or use you own imagination. I like frittatas because they are a tasty vehicle for cleaning out my refrigerator. This morning I used some desultory red potatoes left over from a French potato salad, some Canadian bacon long past its prime, some green onions sadly wilting from their green ends (I peeled the out layers from the white ends) and a smattering of parmesan cheese left over from a mushroom lasagna. First I put a lot of margarine, or butter, into the pan to keep the ingredients from sticking. Then I chopped the scallions - but you could certainly use chpped onions or shallots - and tossed them into the pan with the chopped potatoes. The secret to making that nice crispy crust on the potatoes is to leave them alone for a few minutes before turning them over or stirring them around. After that, I tossed in the chopped Canadian bacon and mixed that in. Then I scrambled the eggs - I used four - in a dish and poured the whole thing over the top of what was already in the pan, making sure the ingredients were well spread-out so they would be consistently throughout the finished frittata. I found some dill in my vegetable bin and chopped a little of that which I sprinkled, with the parmesan cheese over the eggs, which started to cook immediately. In order to encourage the cooking, I tilted the pan and let the runny eggs flow into the empty edges of the pan - someone once said, "putting eggs where eggs are not," just to get the eggs mostly cooked. This will take only a minute or two. When the frittata was looking reasonably solid, but the eggs were still moist and glistening on top, I shoved the whole pan into a preheated 350 degree oven for a minute or two until the eggs were thoroughly cooked on top. The pan should ideally be a seasoned iron skillet but it can be any kind of skillet so long as it's oven-proof. Be careful not to cook the eggs too long or the frittata will burn on the bottom. And be sure to use a pot holder when you remove the skillet from the oven. I missed this once and burned one whole hand rather badly.
Once the frittata is done, take it out of the oven and then cut it into however many sections you want, ideally four, loosen it around the edges with a spatula and voila, you have a quarter of a circle of frittata, sort of l ike a quarter circle of pizza. As I said, this is a great Sunday breakfast, using up the leftovers from a Saturday night dinner party. Don't be afraid to use your imagination. Almost any ingredients will do. Frittata. Just a peasant omelet. But easier to make and lots more fun.
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