Fritata

[Ensign Steve]

I'm going to do it. My mom gave me a 9" pan for Christmas that can go in the oven, and I'm going to try to make a tiny fritata tonight. I have turkey italian sausage defrosting in the fridge as we speak, and I have potatoes available for cubing (I don't have a cheese grater! oops!). I am planning to substitute one egg and three egg whites for every two eggs, for calorie reasons.

Anyone have any tips or lessons learned? I'll let you know how it turns out when I'm done.

[livius drusus]

Tip: it keeps cooking after you take it out of the oven. Obvious, I know, but it took me a few dry frittatas to realize that I was leaving it under the broiler too long.

As soon as it gets puffy and develops brown spots, take it out and just let it set for 5 minutes. If you stick a toothpick or a knife inside when you first take it out of the oven, it should still be wet.

Oh, and, the potatoes will take a while to brown in the skillet, like 20 minutes. You should cook up the sausage in a separate pan then add it to the egg mixture while the taters are cooking. Then once they're done, just throw the whole egg, sausage shebang in over the potatoes.

[Clutch Munny]

[freemonkey]

I have no tips, I usually just wing it, myself. I've never had taters in a fritata.

Will you be adding cheese?

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

Oh, and, the potatoes will take a while to brown in the skillet, like 20 minutes. You should cook up the sausage in a separate pan then add it to the egg mixture while the taters are cooking. Then once they're done, just throw the whole egg, sausage shebang in over the potatoes.

Thanks for the tips! In the interest of full disclosure, the sausage is already cooked. I cooked a bunch up last week and froze what I didn't use.

Originally Posted by freemonkey

Will you be adding cheese?

Oh god, yes! Everything with cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. I have some mozz in the fridge, and I think I'll buy a hunk of cheddar, too. And a grater, while I'm at it, so I can have some shredded taters instead of settling for cubes.

I can't wait to get home and try it out.

[Ensign Steve]

Okay, yay! It was delicious! I am stuffed full! I thought it was going to be too small, because it's more like a 6 or 7 inch pan than 9 like I previously thought.

I started with 1 shredded potato, browned in the pan. I added 1 cup of cooked Italian sausage until it was warm. In another bowl I beat 2 eggs and 2 egg whites with some taragon. That's less eggs than I planned, but I was out of room in the tiny pan. I poured the egg mix over the taters and meat and pulled up on the sides and let the eggs run to the bottom, repeatedly until it started to set. I let it heat on the stove for a little bit, then tossed it under the broiler for a minute. Then I said "OH SHIT I FORGOT THE CHEESE" and then I pulled it out and dumped a half-cup of shredded mozz on top, and slid it under the broiler for another minute until the cheese was melted.

Despite the extra minute under the broiler, it was not dry at all. I cut it in half and ate it with a side of cranberry sauce. It was totally hearty and filling, and I've got the other half of it leftover for breckies tomorrow.

My next challenge will be to make it with less delicious, more nutritious ingredients (read: more vegetables, less cheese and sausage) and see if I can still make it taste yummy.

[livius drusus]

Oh, it'll be fantastic. I've made plenty without any cheese or meat at all. Zucchini is a great frittata veggie, as are mushrooms, scallions, corn, asparagus, bell peppers, leafy greens like spinach, arugula, chard, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Another tip: frittata is delicious in a different way at every temperature, include cold straight out of the fridge. It also makes a fantastic sandwich. You can find wedges of frittata in a roll offered for lunch in any bar in Italy.

Great job, Ensign.

[freemonkey]

I second the cold out the fridge deliciousness. Mushrooms, sauage & asparagus are some of my fav ingredients. Fritata is also a good way to use leftover pasta.

[ZEZOZE]

i like to say it.

[kappablackmafia]

Could someone recommend a decent frittata recipe? Google retrieves several and I'm not sure what would be considered "decent" by frittata standards.

[Caligulette]

My mother in law makes the best fritatas. She just uses up whatever we have in the fridge. It's always excellent. I'll even eat them with caulifower in them. I think the best way is the "wing it" way.

[viscousmemories]

I gave ye olde frittata a try today with a little guidance from this thread (and liv).

Ingredients

8 eggs
1 small potato (boiled, sliced)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 morningstar sausage patties (thawed and chopped)
1 large handful mushrooms (sliced)

Directions

Boil Potato until firm but cooked through - about 15 minutes
Preheat oven to 375 F
In a med bowl, whisk eggs with s&p
Heat about 1Tb olive oil in 10" skillet
Combine sliced potato, chopped onion and garlic in skillet
Cook potato etc. about 5 minutes, then cover and cook 4 more min
Meanwhile, sautee mushrooms in about 1Tb olive oil in sautee pan
Mix mushrooms and chopped sausage with potatoes etc. in skillet, then add eggs
Stir, top with cheese and place in oven for ~15 minutes

Remove from oven, cover with plate and flip. Flip again if you want the pretty side up.

Voila!

[Julie]

You mean people use recipies to make these? Fritatas are more commonly know as leftover egg pie at my house. They are WONDERful for using up any left over veggies. One of the best ones we ever had was made with left over curry....

[Ensign Steve]

OMG stop it! My little pan is out of storage, and all I need to do is buy some eggs. Hmm...

[Corona688]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

Why....why do we have this smiley? It is of course excellent but also most inexplicable.

[Qingdai]

I like James Beard's versions of frittatas. I also like to add lots of spices, thyme, oregano and so on. I use a regular cast iron pan and generally wing it.

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by Corona688

Why....why do we have this smiley? It is of course excellent but also most inexplicable.

I think it has something to do with Shelli. I don't really understand it either. Nor this one:

[Caligulette]

I am a prisoner of cheeselove, so I understand why we have that first one. And I would be easily ensnared if the bait were cheese, so the second one is likewise not a mystery.

[S.Vashti]

I'm on my third week of no cheese (or other milk products), hoping to wean myself of the addiction. And see if my allergies are any different.

[Ensign Steve]

[Caligulette]

I... ....I....

[Smilin]

Originally Posted by Julie

You mean people use recipies to make these? Fritatas are more commonly know as leftover egg pie at my house. They are WONDERful for using up any left over veggies. One of the best ones we ever had was made with left over curry....

We call them omeletes here....lol

[oblomov]

dropped $65 on cheese the other day.... this is my reason for avoiding it....

[viscousmemories]

I made delicious frittata this morning using chorizo made at the co-op from Niman pork. The funny thing is I did it with guidance stemming from my failed attempt in this thread, not from the much older thread you're currently reading which documents my first (and in this case successful) exploration into this foodstuff.

Anyway, yum.

[Ensign Steve]

That looks delicious!