Frittata

[snowangel]

Paul got home from deer hunting last night (no deer, yet), and shoved the remainder of the food he'd brought home in the fridge.

Today was one of those days. Very busy. I didn't even think about dinner until a few minutes before I knew the troops would start clamouring.

So, I opened the fridge. Out popped a hunk of ham (really good ham). A hunk of cheese (sharp white something). A half a head of broccoli that was soon to be on it's way out. An onion (yes, he stuck an onion in the fridge). Lots of eggs. A bag of pre-packaged greens.

So, what was for dinner, you ask? Why, frittata, of course. One of those great dishes that you can almost always put together.

Sometimes they are more intentional, sometimes more of the "what in the hell am I going to feed people" things.

So, please talk about frittata. Intentional ones and unintentional ones. Odd combinations? Favorites?

I'm hosting a series of small luncheons for my mother's upcoming 70'th birthday, and think that perhaps frittata and a salad would be appropriate, and easy, for one of them, but would prefer to do something that is not "the dregs of the fridge." Ideas?

[Gifted Gourmet]

I also think of a frittata as a quiche without a crust.... and it is different from the French rolled omelets as well .. I have made all manner of frittatas .. a favorite being a smoked salmon and brie that was quite well received .. dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream on top and a red or black spoonful of caviar .. surrounded by sliced red tomatoes and black shiny Kalamatas ... umm.. that is what I will do this weekend for brunch! Thanks for reminding me!

Voila! the recipe is here!

[Ore]

Ciao,

A fun one we do here in Italy...Save the pasta from lunch or dinner - combine with cheese, some more sauce and eggs, put in teflon pan and cook in oven - yummy family meal!!!

Ciao,

Ore

[reesek]

frittata is awesome b/c it's so seasonally adaptable. asparagus, young herbs & chevre in spring and wild mushrooms, onion confit and brie in winter.

pretty, festive frittata - roasted peppers, sausage & parmesan - on a bed of arugula. tomato sauce on the side...

i also love love love spanish tortilla which is prized over all for it's versatility - some like it very warm, some cold and some at room temp.

sliced potatoes, cooked until soft in oil (or lard or bacon grease) with thin onions. remove and cool veggies. mix cooled veg with eggs - flop back into pan - i am way too chicken to turn it over when it's set on the bottom - so i finish mine in the oven - you can even broil when it's almost done to get the "puff"

tortilla is very agreeable - variations i've seen in spain - with mushrooms, with ham, with onion. the spanish rarely add cheese - but that would never stop me!

[Smithy]

Paul got home from deer hunting last night (no deer, yet), and shoved the remainder of the food he'd brought home in the fridge.

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What? Not even with the bumper? His car must not be new enough to be a deer magnet any more.

Anyway, great topic! Frittata isn't something I've done much, so I'm looking forward to learning more about it.

[snowangel]

What?  Not even with the bumper?    His car must not be new enough to be a deer magnet any more.

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Our cars are both early 90's. And, the deer by his stand were just on the other side of the "posted" land. Except the doe with the two fawns that stared him in the eye. I'm not worried, by FIL always gets two and one will be mine.

Back to Frittata.

The brie smoked salmon prep sounds just like what I'm looking for. Diana mentioned seafood (scallops/shrimp) as well.

[Jake]

Sorry to hear there are no deer in your freezer yet, but I'm in complete agreement with you about frittata. I often throw one together for a quick supper and it is the brunch menu of choice up at the lake in the summer, especially if we have guests. My personal favourite combination is a variety of mushrooms, baby spinach and whatever kind of cheese strikes my fancy that day. The SO prefers pancetta, roasted red peppers, carmelized onions and spinach. And some days, it's just whatever is in the fridge.

[NulloModo]

Hmmm, my frittatas tend to always be of the 'clean out random baggies of stuff in the fridge' variety. one of the best I ever made though included rosemary, fresh asparagus lightly sauteed in olive oil, bacon (pancetta would work too), anchovies, roma tomatoes, and Mancego cheese.

Edited November 11, 2004 by NulloModo (log)

[ruthcooks]

Best one I ever tasted contained: shrimp, fresh corn kernels, tiny cubes of cream cheese, herbs and Parmesan. Even out of season "fresh" corn-on-the-cob would be OK as it's the crunch contribution you want.

[Busboy]

I always think of frittatas as involving some type of potato but, otherwise, if it feels good, do it. A couple of things I like to do: slice (lots of) garlic and brown it in oil in the frittata pan, then set it aside until near the end, cooking the potatoes and whatever else in the garlic-y oil and throwing the slices back in just before the eggs are added, and putting some kind of green, like sauteed spinach, in.

[purplewiz]

So, please talk about frittata.  Intentional ones and unintentional ones.  Odd combinations?  Favorites?

I'm hosting a series of small luncheons for my mother's upcoming 70'th birthday, and think that perhaps frittata and a salad would be appropriate, and easy, for one of them, but would prefer to do something that is not "the dregs of the fridge."  Ideas?

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I made frittata earlier this week, with green habanero sausages crumbled (not as hot as they sounded), some onion, and a dash of chili powder in the eggs. Melted cheese over the top when

it was almost done, then served with salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and and a salad on the side

for dinner. Maybe a little spicy for a luncheon, but it's the classic sausage and egg combination!

I've also made them with browned Spam cubes. It's better than it sounds.

Marcia.

[albiston]

So, please talk about frittata.  Intentional ones and unintentional ones.  Odd combinations?  Favorites?

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I love the line on the intentional and unintentional ones. By coincidence in Italian "to make a frittata" means to screw up... I coul tell of quite a few unintentional ones .

My favourite frittata is plain onion frittata sprinkled with a little real Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, possibly aged 15 years or more. Interesting to see what frittata means outside Italy, for us it's just a flat omelette. And omelette is frittata arrotolata (rolled frittata) in some trattorie .

[lovebenton0]

I did individual frittatas for dinner a few days ago with lightly seared broccoli crown and sweet yellow onion, chopped and added to eggs, fried polenta in olive oil/butter. S and red P. Put a little egg in bottom of small cast iron skillet and add polenta, pour the rest of egg mix over that. Flipped once, then creamy mozz on top, run under broiler a minute. Top with thinly sliced scallions and long cuts of fresh garlic chive.

If I had bacon/ham of any variety would have added that, but it was light and good as it was. Served with salad.

Potatoes and left over pasta are also favs for the bulk. Pasta, Bay scallops and/or shrimp with roasted red pepper and onion are really good.

I love the salmon recipe, GG. Have to try that one!

[kellytree]

My frittata is always made with whatever is hanging around in the kitchen -- its my favorite never fail braindead satisfying meal.

In this area they make frittatas at easter time with wild mint - sounds disgusting but it is actually REALLY good.

[marie-louise]

I haven't made a frittata in years. I used to make mine completely in the oven, but remember the eggs turned out a little rubbery. Is there a better way? (I used to precook the ingredients, then put ingredients in a baking dish, then pour over the eggs.)

My favorite clean-out-the-refrigerator dish is quesadillas. You can saute pretty much any vegetable together w/ onion and garlic (broccoli is particularly good) and put it into an any-kind-of-cheese quesadilla.

[Chufi]

My favorite frittata is with chunks of courgette, fried briefly over high heat until the chunks have brown spots but are still crunchy, chopped up fresh raw tomatoes and some shredded basil. When it is almost set I sprinkle Parmesan on top and put it briefly under the hot grill to set the top and melt the cheese.

Tomatoes should be warm but not mushy. Thereofore the chunks of tomatoes should not be too small.

[Redsugar]

So, please talk about frittata.

Invitation accepted; thank you.

Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani. Better an egg today than a chicken tomorrow.

Claudia Roden has observed that “the frittata is common throughout Italy, except in Sicily and Sardinia. Piedmont is famous for its truffle frittata, Trentino for its mushroom & artichoke ones. In Triese, they are sweet, filled wit fruit or jam & cream. The fritata is especially popular in Friuli, where people make great use of eggs…In most regions, they are thin & pliable like French omelets, but in Friuli they make them two fingers thick, crusty & brown outside and cream insided. And, whereas in central Italy they are cooked in oil, here butter and sometimes still pork or goose fat are used.” [The Good Food of Italy (New York, 1990), p. 90]

Similarly, Biba Caggiano likens [in Trattoria Cooking, (New York, 1992), p. 302] a frittata to “an open-faced omelet.” (Of course, that’s just the start of a proper definition for this very improvisable dish.) Caggiano states that the dish is “generally served as an appetizer or for a light lunch or supper; it is almost never served at breakfast.” She remarks that “frittatas can be prepared with a variety of fillings, such as vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish” – and “even pasta & rice” which would dispel my understanding that you’d be hard pressed to find in Italy frittatas made with either of those items, let alone potatoes. Not that it wouldn’t taste good, only that it wouldn’t really be frittata! (I exclaim, dodging accusations hurling ‘food-police’ epithets.) I am relatively certain that pasta is is not used for a frittata in either Tuscany or Piemonte. Italian cooking is comprised of 20 regional cuisines: Overall, I think it would be unlikely in any of them to mix an antipasto (frittata) with a primo piatto (a pasta or rice dish or a soup). Albeit, Talismano della Felicita does mention that an omelet prepared with leftover pasta is good for disagreeable children!

Frittate are predominantly served in Italy as cold antipasti. Usually they’re in large format, but smaller, pancake-size ones are also made – in which case they’re called frittatine.

For a personal menu philosophy, I choose to regard frittata as being a crustless quiche. Here’s my version (more akin to a Spanish vegetable omelet, I suppose, as it’s served warm) -- which, after baking, you can run under the broiler for a more golden appearance:

6 large eggs

2 fl. oz. milk

ground pepper

about 1 cup whole-grain country bread, cubed

about 1 cup shredded mozzarella (or Swiss cheese)

2 oz. cream cheese, cubed

olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

some sliced mushrooms

1 medium red capsicum, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

pinch of dried oregano & crushed hot-pepper flakes

2 large hothouse tomatoes, sliced

freshly grated Parmesan, for topping

In bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and pepper; stir in bread, mozzarella and cream cheese. Set aside.

In 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat oil; sauté onion, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes until softened. Remove from heat; pour in egg mixture and blend well. Arrange tomatoes around perimeter; sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake in 375° oven for about 25 minutes, or until egg mixture is set. To serve, cut into wedges.

Edited November 11, 2004 by Redsugar (log)

[slbunge]

It is a good idea to use the frittata as an approach to dealing with the small bits of this and that lingering in the crisper. Don't know why that never occurred to me.

My favorite frittata-like meal is a Portuguese version that includes salt cod, potato, olive, and onion. The recipe is from Leite's Culinaria. Fantastic.

Edited November 11, 2004 by slbunge (log)

[Abra]

I eat frittata once or twice a week, as part of my Leafy Greens Self-Improvement Program. I almost always include lacinato kale, to which I'm fairly addicted, but ruby chard is also good. Start by sauteeing shallots or onion with a little garlic , add the chopped kale, then whatever other little bits are in the fridge. Red pepper or piquillo peppers are a nice addition, as are shiitakes. By the time I pour in the eggs and add a sprinkle of cheese, the stuff on the bottom is already cooked, so I set the pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the top is puffed and golden, and there it is.

[Carlovski]

If I go to the Farmers Market (More of a spring/summer one this) My usual treat when I get back is a sort of market Garden Frittata - I get small amounts of whatever vegetables look good, and in they go with totally fresh farm eggs. If there was any interesting cheese on offer, on that goes too(But usually without).

[marie-louise]

...For a personal menu philosophy, I choose to regard frittata as being a crustless quiche...

6 large eggs

2 fl. oz. milk...

Bake in 375° oven for about 25 minutes, or until egg mixture is set.  To serve, cut into wedges.

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I notice that you are the only person that adds milk. I think I would like frittata better if the eggs tasted more custard-like, or as you put it, like "a crustless quiche." The eggs just set up around the ingredients always taste rubbery to me.

Perhaps I should just mix eggs & cream together and try that? Now that I think about it, I haven't made a quiche in years either. They have heavy cream, right?

[fifi]

Many thanks to all of you for this topic. Fritatta is my go-to recipe for brunch for several people. While it is usually of the "what I have in the fridge" variety, you guys have given me some great ideas to actually plan one.

I have usually added a bit of milk but I really like the idea of the heavy cream, and more of it, to make the texture more quiche-like. I may not add as much as in a classic quiche recipe, but I am headed in that direction.

If I do that, do I use a similar time and temperature and bake it like a quiche? Any recommendations on a suitable baking pan? I am leaning toward a rather heavy ceramic type. Heh... heh... An excuse to get that Emile Henri I have been looking at. (Assume, of course, that any ingredients that need sauteing would be done in a separate skillet.)

[Redsugar]

I notice that you are the only person that adds milk. I think I would like frittata better if the eggs tasted more custard-like, or as you put it, like "a crustless quiche." The eggs just set up around the ingredients always taste rubbery to me.

Perhaps I should just mix eggs & cream together and try that? Now that I think about it, I haven't made a quiche in years either. They have heavy cream, right?

Exactement, Marie-Louise! It is primarily for that reason that I qualified my version of frittata as being akin to Tortilla Española – which can be made with, or without milk (although olive oil gives the full characteristic flavor of a tortilla). Spaniards consume this omelette either hot or cold and it’s popular in tapas bars. In a former era, it was commonly taken by workers for their lunch as a bocadillo – that is, sandwiched between two pieces of bread. There are also elaborate forms in which three omelettes are layered with tomatoes & white sauce.

Across the sea in Italy, fritattas almost invariablly would be made with olive oil, not cream.

Next time, I’ll use goat cheese in my vegetable frittata.

[Chufi]

... The eggs just set up around the ingredients always taste rubbery to me.

I cook my frittata in a large skillet on top of the stove. Never more than 4 eggs at the time, so it is not too thick. Cook until still runny on top and then run briefly under the grill to set the top. Not rubbery at all! Maybe the rubbery-ness comes from cooking too many eggs for too long?

[David Leite]

My favorite frittata-like meal is a Portuguese version that includes salt cod, potato, olive, and onion.  The recipe is from Leite's Culinaria.  Fantastic.

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Thanks, slbunge.