Skip's Food Blog: Fritatta

e've been having a tough go of it here on Riverview Avenue this past week. First, my neighbor in the other apartment here was—and remains—laid low by the springtime flu. Then, my landlady developed a respiratory infection that causes her to sound like a snare drum when she coughs. I spent all of Sunday and most of yesterday in bed with a 36 hour virus; brought on, I'm certain, by that 50 to 1 longshot winner in the Kentucky Derby. After all, an event like that will lower anyone's resistance to infection. Especially anyone who hadn't taken any action on the horse. And finally, my neighbor's girlfriend joined the walking wounded yesterday too. As I said, tough week on Riverview Avenue.

Of course, the chicken soup has been flowing like water, but I was feeling well enough yesterday afternoon to have an interest in something more substantial. Given the current condition of my larder, the logical choice was frittata.

One of my Italian-English dictionaries defines frittata as an omelet. I can't see how this could be correct, though. As I've written elsewhere, it was Caterina de' Medici who taught the French how to eat with forks. I prefer to think of frittata as a srambled egg tart.

The significant differences between an omelet and a frittata are the cooking techniques. A mushroom omelet and a mushroom frittata might have identical ingredients, but the outcomes are drastically different.

An omelet consists of beaten eggs cooked until just set on the bottom, then folded over a filling. A frittata is an amalgam of ingredients cooked together. Also, a frittata is cooked until the bottom is set, then flipped and cooked on the other side.

In Italy, frittata is a popular piatto di pranzo, luncheon dish. And it's ubiquitous on the antipasto table in trattorias. I've eaten in some restaurants—particularly in Tuscany—where the chef offers three or four different frittate as antipasti. Italians typically eat frittata at room temperature.

Ingredients for a frittata are limited only by the contents of the larder, and the imagination of the cook. Asparagus, spinach, potatoes, or bell peppers are all popular, either alone, or in combination. Sausage, and sopressata are popular too.

The recipe I present below, is a simple combination of eggs and onions. If I had a bell pepper in the house, I would have diced it and sautéed it with the onions. If I had some sausage, I would have crumbled it and sautéed it before adding the onions. This dish is wide open for improvisation.

For as simple as this recipe is, the dish was delicious, if I say so myself. But I'm also glad to be feeling well enough to look forward to having some pasta tonight.

Frittata
Scrambled Egg Tart

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Medium onion, diced
2 Cloves garlic, peeled and diced
6 Large eggs
2 - 4 Tbs. Parmigiano, grated
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped

Preparation:

Heat a 10 or 12 inch non-stick sauté pan over medium heat, then add the oil. Add the diced onion, and sauté until the onions have softened and become translucent; approximately five minutes.

In the meantime, break the eggs into a bowl and beat with the back of a fork. (I recall Julia Child, when talking about omlets, saying eggs should be beaten at least 100 times, and with the back of a fork.) Stir in the Parmigiano, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

When the onions are done, add the garlic and sauté for approximately one minute.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the eggs. With a wooden spatula, imediately begin to push the eggs from the edges of the pan to the center, turning and shaking the pan to bring uncooked eggs back to the edges. Continue in this manner until the bottom is set, then begin lifting the edges to determine the degree of doness. The frittata is ready to be turned when the bottom has hardened and has begun to develop some caramelization.

Slide the frittata out of the pan and onto a dinner plate, then, balancing the dinner plate on one hand, place the pan—upside down—over the plate. Using one smooth motion, flip the pan and the dinner plate over so the frittata falls back into the sauté pan.

Note: You can rehearse this technique with a cold pan and a dinner plate, and perhaps a paperback book, or a potholder, until you've become comfortable flipping them over to transfer from one to the other.

Return to the heat, and cook for two to three minutes longer. Note there will be some carryover cooking when you remove the pan from the stove.

To Serve:

Slide the frittata onto a platter, garnish with the parsley, and, if serving for lunch, divide into four wedges. If serving as part of an antipasto, divide into eight wedges.

Serves four for lunch; eight as part of an antipasto.