Cooking

A frittata wedge, served with steamed asparagus.

Some people have omelette-making skills. I don’t. So if I want to make something with eggs that looks even remotely presentable, I go with the frittata.

The beauty of a frittata is that you can add almost anything to it, from veggies to meats. I personally prefer onions, ham and parmesan, so those are the ingredients used here. You could add red peppers, bacon, asparagus, sausage or pretty much anything else that you would find in the omelette at your favorite breakfast place.

This recipe is very scalable. This version, which uses a 12-inch frying pan, feeds four to six people, depending on what else it’s served with. I also halve the recipe make a smaller version in an omelette pan that serves two.

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese, divided in half
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 cup ham, chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter

Instructions

Preheat your broiler.

In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add salt and half of the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch frying pan over low heat. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add the ham to warm through. Spread ham and onions evenly around the pan.

Recipe scaled by half results in frittata for two.

Add egg and cheese mixture. When the egg begins to set on the bottom and along the edges, sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top of the eggs. Stick the pan under the broiler for 2 minutes. Check to see if the egg is fluffy and golden. If not, return to the broiler for another minute. Check and repeat as necessary. My broiler takes exactly three minutes, but yours may operate differently. Just don’t turn your back on the broiler. Ever. There’s just a split second between golden brown and charred.

Results

The Tiny Kitchen Assistant will not eat freestanding eggs. “They’re an ingredient,” he declares. “Not a food.” I did lure him into at least trying the frittata because it contained ham, but he refused to eat more than that. The grownups, who have no issues with eggs, thought it was a perfectly fine meal.

Tags: breakfast, broiler, eggs, frittata, main dish, omelet, omelette, oven, stovetop

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