It’s asparagus season and that means we’re officially into Spring eating – the most exciting tome of the year for us! Here’s a simple recipe that can be assembled in minutes and features the simple flavors of Spring.
A frittata i very similar to quiche (we used the terms as synonyms when I grew up) except that it has no crust and has a higher percentage of eggs involved (a quiche often includes the addition of cream or milk to the eggs).
There are two tricks that I use when making a frittata that I insist make a difference.
The first trick is to add vinegar – white wine vinegar is my favorite for this. I add it after I’ve added everything but the eggs and then I taste the mixture. There should be enough to taste a tang though not quite enough to pick out that it’s vinegar. This means I may add a tablespoon or more. The exact amount is more art than science but trust your senses and you’ll do just fine. The addition of acid just takes a Frittata from an omelet to something entirely different.
The second trick I insist on is that I beat the egg whites separate from the yolks and add them to the mixture at the final moment. This ensures your frittata is airy and light and doesn’t become an egg log. If you look at the very top picture in this post you’ll see air bubbles in the photo of the end product.
You can prepare this dish in 10 minutes and then it’s just a waiting game for it to cook.
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs (room temperature is best
- 2 Cups of cheese (cheddar or mozzarella will do but I love to mix a combination and will even include things like feta or ricotta)
- Asparagus, as much as you’d like (I used a small bunch), chopped into small discs.
- Mushrooms, as many as you like, I used about 10. Chop however you’d like.
- 1 large onion
- A half tablespoon of Herbes Salees (or 2-3 teaspoons of any dried herbs)
- White Wine Vinegar (+/- a tablespoon)
- Butter to grease pan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dried chili flakes to taste
Directions
- Turn oven to 350.
- Mix everything but the eggs and vinegar in a large bowl.
- Add some vinegar, toss the mixture and taste. Repeat until you can detect a tang in the flavor (this will get milder as we add the quantity of egg)
- Grease your cooking pan (I use a small cast iron frying pan for this purpose; it has enough room for the fritatta to raise as needed)
- Crack and separate your eggs.
- Lightly beat the yolks, add them to your other ingredients and stir to incorporate.
- Using a whisk or hand mixer, beat the whites until they are filled with little bubbles. The more bubbles the better. Once you’re happy with the amount of bubbles proceed with haste – but be safe.
- Gently pour the whites into the other ingredients and lightly fold the ingredients into the mixture (i.e. distribute the whites gently).
- Add the mixture to your pan and place in the oven.
- Cook for 45 minutes before testing (stick a knife into the center and when it comes out clean, you’re done). It should finish cooking in 45-60 minutes.
- Allow the frittata to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.