Basics: Frittata

For our friends who currently would prefer a life sentence of indentured servitude to an afternoon in the kitchen, we present a series on our staple recipes. Most are simply basic formulas that offer the opportunity to customize and call your own. Seriously, every cook should have these babies in their arsenal.

This was nearly titled 'Rainy Day' Frittata. But I wouldn't want to overuse the phrase, since it could really be applied to most things made under the dreary weather that's been parked over Atlanta for the past year. Though if what's outdoors is keeping you in, this should be your go-to recipe, adapted to whatever you have on hand. I mean, what the heck can you do with several spinach leaves and a few left over crumbles of feta? Oh, I know: slip it in a custardy egg dish and call it a meal.

What makes a frittata a frittata, is the fact that eggs start out on the stove, set, and puff up in the oven. From there, load it up to your heart's content. I have described our most recent fridge-clean-out below, but I'd really love to hear your favorite combinations. Got a good one? Let us know in the comments!

Breakfast, party of 2? Use an eight inch skillet and the recipe below. Or if you've got company for brunch, supersize the recipe and use your twelve inch [increase to a whole onion and nine eggs, advice at Simply Recipes]. And don't think you can only do this if you have a fancy All Clad pan. Anything you have that will go on the stove and stick directly in the oven will do, including a dutch oven. If your skillet has a plastic coated handle, wrap it tightly in foil and it should be fine. Just don't leave in there too long. Note: non-stick is probably an important quality considering the excessive stickiness of cooked egg.

Got pastry crust? Pour exactly this recipe in and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Now you have a quiche! Don't forget to bake the pie crust a bit before pouring in the liquid or you'll get soggy bottom syndrome. Unfortunately, not as nice as this.

Anything Goes Frittata

Serves 2-3

Base:

6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced

My most recent filler:

Sun-dried tomato [or basil] pesto
Prosciutto di parma, diced
Goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Add in sun-dried tomato pesto and prosciutto, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Sauté onions in olive oil in an oven-proof, stick-free skillet, until translucent, about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and cook a minute further.

4. Pour egg mixture over onions. Use a spatula to mix things up a bit, then sprinkle in the bits of goat cheese. When the mixture is about half set [jiggle it to find out], put the whole pan in the oven.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until frittata is puffy and golden. Remove from oven with oven mitts and let cool for several minutes. Although the pan may be out of the oven for a few minutes, the handle is still very hot. Slide it off onto a plate.