Old Memories and Frittatas | Sicilian Stories – Page 3

The secret to a delicious frittata is to start off with fresh large eggs. Anywhere from 6-12 eggs can be used depending on the size of your frying pan (I use a 13-inch oven-proof non-stick pan.) I typically use 8 eggs. The larger the pan, the more eggs you will need. You are not making a thin omelette here, you want enough eggs for your finished frittata to be about 1-2 inches thick.

Add your eggs into a large bowl. (I will explain my use of a large bowl in a second.)
Into the eggs I add, salt, pepper, fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese and some fresh basil. Add whatever other spices you like to the eggs and beat until foamy. You want your frittata to be fluffy, not flat, so the more air you incorporate into the eggs, the better. Beat until you have a good foam. Set this bowl aside.

Now, you can add whatever veggies you like. Let your creativity be your guide. There are so many combinations to make a good frittata. The following ingredients are used for my potato, zucchini and onion frittata.

6 medium size potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, quartered
1 large zucchini cut into ½” discs
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 TBS of olive oil
3 TBS of unsalted butter
Grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. You will be using the middle rack.

Place the cut potatoes in a medium size pot until they are just covered with water. Boil them on medium high heat until they are firm. Don’t overcook them or they will break down. About 10 minutes. Check with a fork for tenderness. Again, don’t overcook. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

While the potatoes are boiling, cut your zucchini and onion and set aside.

Heat your frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil and butter and heat until sizzling.

Carefully add your boiled potatoes, zucchini and onion and fry until the ingredients are golden brown in color.

Now, here’s where the large bowl comes in. This is a tip my mother gave me. Carefully empty the contents of the frying pan into the eggs in the large bowl. Gently cover all the ingredients with the egg mixture using a rubber spatula. You want to be sure all the ingredients are covered in egg which does not happen if you add the egg mixture to the frying pan!

Then empty the contents of the bowl into the hot frying pan and distribute the vegetables and egg evenly. As the egg cooks around the edges, use a rubber spatula to move the cooked egg towards the middle (be gentle!) to allow more uncooked egg to take its place. Move the pan to distribute the egg if you have to. Once the egg is mostly set (not completely) on the top of the frittata, transfer the frying pan to the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes more. You want the top to be dry before removing from the oven so look for any wet egg still sitting on top. Keep it in the oven until all is cooked.

Once removed from the oven, sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan cheese or any cheese of your liking. Let the frittata cool a bit as the contents are very hot. You can easily burn your mouth so be careful. Cut as you would a cake or pie and serve with a nice mixed salad. You now have a delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack! It can be served warm, room temperature or cold directly from the fridge. If you are like me, you will get the urge to sneak a leftover piece. This may sound sacrilegious but I love putting ketchup on mine directly out of the fridge!

If by any chance there are any leftovers, store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Now, for those more experienced in the Art of the Frittata, instead of using the oven, you can “flip” the contents of your pan onto a large plate. Cover the pan with the plate, hold both tightly and quickly flip it over. The frittata will then be sitting on your plate with the cooked side up. You must then slide the un-cooked bottom of your frittata from the plate back into the hot frying pan to finish cooking for a few minutes. You have to act fast and have a steady hand so be careful. If you are using a large frying pan, I would not recommend this method. The pan and the contents are just too heavy and hot to do this without losing your frittata into your kitchen sink and seriously burning yourself. It has happened to me several times so don’t chance this method unless you are using a smaller fry pan with a plate on top that completely covers the frying pan. While holding the plate firmly against the frying pan, flip upside down so the frittata ends up on your plate. Then proceed as above and cook the bottom of your frittata for a few minutes. Be sure to be standing over your kitchen sink when you do this just in case you lose your grip. What happens to your frittata at this point is only for you to know!

So, here is today’s frittata. Potato, zucchini, onion and Parmesan cheese. I devoured half of it. Am I ashamed of frittatas anymore? Absolutely not! Bring ‘em on and don’t forget, share your recipes for your favorite and show us your frittatas!

Philip Cabibi