This is yet another of those very useful recipes that I wish I had heard of decades ago.
I always had the idea that a frittata was some kind of exotic dish that required a lot of faffing and was therefore in the category of "not for us".
The very first time I had a frittata (as far as I know) was about two years ago, in France, when a new friend served mini ones as nibbles for apéros. She made two varieties, cooked in a mini muffin tin and served slightly warm, and both were utterly delicious. She gave me a copy of her recipe and I soon sussed that this was simply a kind of omelette and why oh why had I never made one myself?!
Since then I have been making frittatas for us at every opportunity. By opportunity I mean the need to use up some bits and bobs in the fridge. Believe me, there is never any need to go out and buy something specifically for a frittata, as long as you have eggs and a few tasty bits to use up you're ready to cook. As a quick and tasty way of using leftovers it's up there with "fridge bottom quiche" and "Sunday dinner pie" but much, much quicker. It makes an excellent meal for lunch, supper or even breakfast.
For this one I used green and yellow peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and about half of a Matteson's smoked sausage. In the past I have also used bits of potato, cooked broccoli or other veg (peas and asparagus are very good), cooked lardons, smoked salmon or shredded chicken.
We had ours with garlic potatoes and a (small) green salad. For the potatoes I just boiled a few baby potatoes (while the frittata was being created) and, when they were cooked and drained, tumbled them in a good tablespoon of Heinz garlic sauce while still warm. Deelish.
Ingredients
Roughly half each of a green and yellow pepper, washed, de-seeded and cut into chunks.
a handful of mushrooms, washed and thickly sliced
6-8 cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
Roughly half of a Matteson's smoked sausage (or any other cooked sausage), thickly sliced
4 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 180 fan. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan, preferably one with a metal handle that can be used in the oven.
Add the chopped veg and cook on medium heat until just tender. Add the smoked sausage and heat through.
Pour the eggs over the filling and cook gently as if you were making an omelette for about 5 minutes. Check if the eggs are set underneath by lifting up the edge of the frittata to see if the underside is set and golden brown.
If your frying pan handle is oven proof, transfer the pan to the oven. If not, gently slide the frittata onto an oven proof plate or dish of a suitable size. Cook in the oven until the eggs are set on top and beginning to brown. (You can also do this under a hot grill if you prefer.)
REMEMBER THAT THE HANDLE WILL BE HOT - USE OVEN GLOVES!
Serve immediately with whatever you like to go with it - potatoes, salad, chips, veg, beans.....anything.
Serves 4 as a light lunch, 2 as a main meal.
Wow! I wonder how you managed to miss eating and making frittata all that time? I've been making and eating it since childhood. Better late than never!
ReplyDeleteSusan, thinking about it, my mum used to do a dish of lightly beaten eggs with cheese and ham or bacon in the oven, which would have turned out very similar.
DeleteI always thought a frittata was a fairly exotic Spanish dish with potatoes and peppers.....according to a 1970's issue of Woman and Home no doubt!
I can't remember when I first had a frittata but it was probably in the 1980s. It's true to say though that I've eaten more of them in the last few years than at any time in the past. They're so convenient when there are just a few bits in the fridge or even just a few odds and ends in the veg garden. I love that use of garlic sauce. I really wish I could always be relied upon to remember the advice about the hot handle.
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