I love frittatas, they can be super simple or as complex as you want them to be. I love them especially during the summer, they are the perfect food paired with a wonderful fresh bread and wine.
And no, they are not omelets! First what is the difference? Frittatas can be served cold, usually are, they are layered, with the ingredients and are cooked over low heat using both a stove and oven. Here is more:
For more of my own recipes click here.
Basic ingredients:
Eggs, beaten into soft peaks
Cream, beaten with the eggs
Cheese, always on top, unless ricotta
Pepper and salt, to taste. I under salt my eggs and love frittatas with large grain sea salt at the table. The crunch and explosion of salt add a unique dimension to the eggs.
Fillings:
Sliced sandwich meat of your choice
Sausage cooked and sliced thin
Sausage or ground meat of your choice outside of casing, cooked well.
Asparagus, steamed, sautéed or roasted
Eggplant roasted
Potatoes (or any root vegetable) boiled or roasted in thin slices.
Tomatoes, raw
Peas, boiled and cooked
Spinach, sautéed or blanched
Broccoli, raw
Peppers of your choice, raw
Broccolini, raW
Cabbage, sautéed
Artichokes, bottled in oil, not brined
Onions, sautéed or caramelized
Herbs and spices of your choice. Be generous! These can be either beaten into the eggs or sprinkled on top.
Any other vegetable.
Cheese: Almost all cheese goes on top except ricotta that can also be mixed into the eggs.
The fun part of a frittata is that you can be creative. Add the stuff that you like, in any combination, be brave, be adventurous And mostly have fun!
Technique:
Heat oven to 375° F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Set oven on Convect-broil so you cooking both the bottom of the pan and crusting the top.
Heat a large frying pan on a stove on low. Add some olive oil and the eggs. The eggs should be soft peaks for fluffier frittatas. Add the meat and vegetables followed by the cheese on top in a decorative pattern. It should look like you care a bit!
By now the eggs at the bottom of the pan should have cooked and formed a light crust. Move The pan to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. The top should be cooked and the center should be solid and not runny. Allow the eggs and cheese to brown on top.
Remove allow to cool. I usually serve them hot and fresh, but you can cool and serve them at room temperature. The frittatas release from the pan on cooling so let it do its thing.
I serve my frittatas with pickled vegetables of any kind, sauces of any kind, and most importantly with fresh good bread,.
Some of my favorite recipes are:
Mexican: eggs beaten with oregano, chipotle chili powder, or any chili powder, fresh cilantro, topped with fresh poblano peppers and Mexican cheese blend. Chorizo is the meat. Serve with salsa and Mexican style torta rolls alongside.
French: eggs beaten with Thyme or rosemary, Dijon mustard and ricotta cheese topped with zucchini and Gruyere. Ham slices is the meat.
Italian: Eggs beaten with basil and oregano, topped with red peppers or asparagus, or broccolini or sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes and drops of mozzarella.
Write to me for more, or get creative.