Italian Fritatas
Pop quiz: Is frittata an omelet or a quiche?
Answer: None of the above! Frittatas are actually a hybrid of an omelet and the quiche. It’s like a traditional French omelet since it’s prepared in your frying pan on a stove top, BUT it’s not folded. It’s like a quiche, in the sense that it has a wide range of additional ingredients, such as meats, vegetables, cheeses and even pasta, which produces several varieties of the dish. BUT it has no crust.
Frittatas usually are served in wedges and are easily transportable. In Italy, where this dish originated, it is a common practice for the locals to bag and take a wedge to work or school for lunchhour. Quite convenient, huh?
The frittata is cooked starting with a clean skillet onto your stove top then ends up baked inside the broiler or oven. But if an oven isn’t available, one can cook your yummy frittata inside a pan, cooking both sides through and through.
To make your own frittata, you will need a clean non-stick oven-proof skillet (preferably 12 inches), lots of eggs (12 for thicker frittata), a spatula, broiler or oven, and other ingredients you want to add. Typical additions are ham, bacon, mushroom, potatoes, cheese, meat, asparagus, spinach and herbs.
Put skillet on stove top and add about a teaspoon of oil. Add the raw vegetables and meats then sauté until done. Add other ingredients like the cooked ingredients you have, herbs, spices, salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs inside a bowl and add salt and pepper. Note that if you want a thicker frittata, you should use about a dozen eggs. If you’d like a thinner one or you’re using a smaller skillet, use about 8 to 10 eggs. Add 3 tablespoons of water, milk or cream. If you are using cheese, add about half into your eggs then save half to sprinkle on top. Add the egg mixture into your skillet.
On medium heat, cook eggs for about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottoms to prevent from burning. Continue cooking for another minute or until eggs are cooked scattered throughout, but loose in between.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Place skillet on top of the broiler (4-6 inches away). Let it cook for 2-4 minutes. Remove skillet from the oven and let sit for around 5 minutes.
Cut in wedges and serve. Best served with fresh bread and/or a leafy green salad
Frittata wedges could either be frozen or stored for another day. Before you place it inside the freezer, be sure they’re cooled completely.