Pair It!

Tonight was one of those nights...

It was 95 degrees today and by the time I arrived home at 6PM, I decided I was in for the evening. Lots of work to do. I relaxed for a bit then sat down at the computer. By the time I realized it, it was 9:00 and was time to see what I had in the house for dinner.

One of my favorite egg dishes is a cross between a Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española) and a frrittata. It is an open-faced omelette with lots of vegetables and thinly sliced potatoes. The potatoes give it body and structure. Cheese, vegetables and herbs give it texture and flavor. Eggs hold it together. I like it with corn during the summer and cauliflower in the winter. When I make my omelettes, I take great care to ensure the eggs do not get any color from cooking. With a frittata, the bottom will be browned and the top might also have a little color to it.

I usually stop at the farmers' market on the weekend and again on Wednesdays, so there are always fresh vegetables in the fridge.

If I use an 8" non-stick pan, 3 extra large eggs are enough to serve two. Tonight's dinner was just me, so 2 eggs were all I needed. 

So, what wine to drink with a frittata? Some would say a sparkling wine or a lighter white and those would be good choices. My question is, what's in it and what's on top? 

The wine of choice for tonight was Zinfandel (red). With an heirloom tomato salsa, cheddar cheese and leafy greens, the eggs and the Zin complemented each other very nicely.

Here's how I put it together. Start to finish was about 20 minutes:

2 each eggs, extra large

2 Tablespoons milk

Combine the eggs and the milk and stir with a fork until smooth.

1 teaspoon butter, unsalted

1 Tablespoon  leeks, sliced

1/2 each Jimmy Nardellos sweet Italian frying peppers (or any other good sweet red pepper)

Place in sauté pan on medium heat and cover until it foams and the leeks have softened.

Season with salt and pepper.

8 each green beans, cleaned & cut into 1 inch pieces

4 leaves red chard, without the stem, chopped

1Teaspoon water

Add beans and chard. Stir and cover for 2-3 minutes. Then add water and cover. 

Once the green beans soften and the chard is wilted, remove the cover and let all the liquid evaporate. 

Check your seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.

Add the vegetables to the egg mixture and stir it in.

2 each red potatoes, medium-small

1 teaspoon butter

3 Tablespoons water

Wash and slice the potatoes thinly (they should be low-starch, "creamy" potatoes). Place in sauté pan with butter and a touch of salt. Toss for a minute then add the water.

Cover and simmer. Make sure there is always a little bit of water in the pan. If you don't have enough water, the potatoes come out too dry. 

Once the potatoes are almost cooked, remove the cover and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

Add to the egg/vegetable mixture and stir it in. 

1/4 cup excellent quality cheddar, grated

2 leaves sage, fresh, minced

Add the cheese & sage to the egg mixture. 

Clean the sauté pan and rub with some butter to coat (or spray if you don't like butter as much as I). Place over medium flame and pour the egg/vegetable mixture into the pan. As the egg starts to set, stir it once gently with a wooden spoon or a hi-temp rubber spatula. Place the pan with the eggs & veggies in a 325 degree (pre-heated) oven and bake until the top is slightly puffed and golden and the center is firm. That should take around 5-8 minutes. 

Remove and slide out of the pan and onto a pre-warmed plate. Top with a fresh salsa.

Chef Bruce