Frittata B

Sunday, June 29, 2008. Carolyn and I started the weekend by taking Natalie, Julia, Elliot and Zoe to dinner at Sabor a Café on Friday night. Yesterday we did at a road trip, of shorts, to Madison, WI to attend Tom’s 60^th birthday party (see photo below). We awoke with the alarm clock set to nine. Glorious!  I made breakfast a little after two in the afternoon and it turned out perfect. I had been trying to make a frittata for years without scorching the eggs and always failed. This time it worked; miraculously and perfectly. I think adding water did the trick, combined with cooking over a moderate, somewhat low, heat. –jb

6 large eggs
1/3 teaspoon salt
Generous sprinkling of thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
¼ cup water
Olives (Provencal, if possible), without pits (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoon Giardinara
Brie, cut into ten ¾” pieces
Gorogonzola, broken into 10 small pieces
Spray canola oil
10 cherry tomatoes

Spray a 12” skillet with three short bursts of oil.  Heat the skillet on low heat for several minutes.

Mix the eggs, salt and water well and pour into the skillet.  Place olives and small dollops of giardinera into the eggs, followed by the cheese and tomatoes, distributed somewhat evenly.  Sprinkle with thyme.  Cover and cook over slightly less than medium heat for about 8-10 minutes; until done.  Be careful not to scorch the eggs (i.e. the dreaded light brown crust under the frittata). If done correctly, the entire thing will slide out of the skillet in one large piece. Serve with toast and jam.

Note 1:  I have made this with a variety of adjustments.  Sometimes with olive tampenade substituting for the olives and giardinera, sometimes without Brie.  Add or subtract as you like, just be sure to cook slowly.  i.e. just below medium, covered.

Note 2:  What’s the difference between an omelets and a frittata?  On omelets is folded; a frittata’s ingredients are combined with the eggs.