Easy Cooking: Frittata
Frittata is way easier to make than an omelette because there is no flipping. You can cook the egg to your liking with little risk of drying it out. Frittata can be thick or thin, fluffy or flat. A few tweaks can yield a lighter consistency:
- Use fewer eggs
- Beat in more air with an electric whisk
- Steam by cooking covered on the stovetop
- If you are feeling rebellious, add a little milk to the egg before beating
Broiling is not required for frittata but does seem traditional and helps avoid burning the bottom. I usually start mine on low heat to set the egg, put it under our broiler set to low, then finish on the stove, which helps me hit a gooey consistency. For a quiche-like texture, cook mostly under the broiler.
As a reminder, nonstick pans are generally broiler-safe and grating or slicing blocks of cheese is cheaper and more fun in addition to likely tasting better than the pre-shredded stuff, which has anti-caking agents.
Ingredients
- Olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
- 8 to 12 oz. your preferred vegetables (e.g., spinach, diced onion, sliced tomato or mushroom, broccoli, minced garlic)
- Kosher or sea salt
- Spices such as fresh cracked pepper or ground turmeric to taste
- 4 large eggs (or 3, or 5, up to you)
- Extremely optional: A splash of milk (organic is worth the premium!)
- Grated or sliced cheese to taste (cheddar, Monterey Jack, parmigiano, mozzarella. etc.)
Preparation
- Sauté vegetables in oil in a nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron pan. Salt vegetables to draw out water and season as desired.
- Beat eggs to desired consistency. More air = lighter texture.
- Evenly spread vegetables to edge of pan to help the egg stay together.
- Once vegetables are mostly cooked, set heat to medium-low and add egg.
- Add cheese at this stage if you want it to brown.
- Place oven rack near top of oven and preheat broiler on low setting.
- Once egg has set, place pan under broiler. Check after about five minutes. Do not walk (far) away, keep an eye on it!
- When frittata’s top has reached desired doneness, place back on stove and finish cooking on low heat. Add cheese now if you want to gently melt it.
- When frittata is fully cooked take off heat and transfer to a plate. Enjoy!
NOTE: For a steamed, puffed up texture, cook frittata covered on low heat.
This recipe was surprisingly easy to write because it is so simple, but I cannot think of a tastier way to eat eggs; poached comes close, I guess. Frittatas usually end up looking good but whether they are does not really affect the flavor, as illustrated below. The egg does not even have to reach the whole surface of the pan. You really can make frittata your own with a surprisingly wide margin of error, so give it a shot. It is even quick once you get it down!
