Frittata 101: Gravlax, Leek, and Chive Frittata

We eat a lot of eggs, a couple dozen between the two of us each week. They're just fantastic for quick, inexpensive meals. Ann hardboils eggs often. I scramble them or make omelettes. And a couple times a month, I make a frittata, a regular feature on the lunch menu at the restaurant. Making frittatas at home is a recent thing: our resident Italian has claimed heretofore that she doesn't like them. I'm glad that phase is done with; she asked me to make this gravlax and leek frittata.

Gravlax, Leek, and Chive Frittata

Frittatas are real winners for dinner, not to mention brunch. They take almost no active work to make: just a touch of prep, then into the oven for a few minutes depending on size. And they are wonderful for cleaning out the refrigerator. Almost anything goes in a frittata.

Last week, I still had some leftover gravlax in the refrigerator along with some leeks left from making leek fritters. It sounded like a great start for a frittata.

Here is a step-by-step for making frittatas.

Two Leeks Before Cooking

I first prepped two really large leeks. Why two? Because I had exactly two in the refrigerator that I wanted to use before they went south. And also because leeks cook down into almost nothing.

Two Leeks Cook Down to Very Little

One of my secrets to making good eggs is that some spice helps them taste eggier without being spicy. I rarely use sriracha except for eggs; otherwise I find it almost too sweet and not spicy enough. You can see that I put a healthy amount in the eggs along with the chives and some salt. This amount of sriracha in 8 eggs will not be detectable to most palates.

Eggs, Chives, Salt, and Sriracha

Things that you want evenly dispersed in the frittata, such as salt, herbs, and spices, mix directly into the eggs before whipping them really well with a fork. Keep in mind that I use extra large or larger eggs. The number of eggs will depend on the size pan you are using. For one person, use a standard 8-inch restaurant skillet which wants three eggs. For two or three people, use a standard 10-inch restaurant skillet which wants eight eggs. None of my pans are non-stick. In fact, the pan that you will see below is actually a stainless steel clad aluminum skillet. If you do it correctly, eggs won't stick to any pan.

Leeks, Eggs, and Gravlax Ready to Cook

Once your oven is to temperature (350-375F will be fine, although we did them at 500F at the restaurant.) you are ready to cook your frittata on the range top. Start your pan on a high flame. Once it gets hot, add a good amount of oil to fully cover the bottom of the pan. Whip the eggs one last time and pour them in the pan. 

Frittata, Flame Off, Ready to Bake

Immediately turn off the flame. With the flame off, you can take your time in adding the fillings to the frittata. If you leave the flame on, you are likely to end up overcooking the bottom of the frittata. Just drop the fillings right on top; they will sink in a bit.

Frittata, Ready to Slice

The final step is to put the frittata in the oven, set a timer, and then relax. You'll know when the frittata is done. As soon as the eggs in the very center are cooked, the frittata is ready to come out of the oven. Cook time depends on a lot of factors, but a general rule of thumb is that in a moderate oven, an 8-inch frittata will take about 8-9 minutes and a 10-inch frittata will take about 18-20 minutes, give or take.

If your pan was clean and hot and you added enough oil to cover the bottom, your frittata will slide right out of the pan onto your cutting board. Sometimes they will stick in small spots, in which case, slide your spatula under the frittata to free it. I generally let the frittata cool for a couple of minutes if I am going to slice it, as in the photo above. I serve small frittatas whole while I cut large ones into 8 slices.

Frittatas are one of the most cost-effective and easiest dinners that I know. Next time you need to clean out the fridge, why not try one?

Frittata Ideas

As I mentioned earlier, just about anything that you want will go into a frittata. They are useful for using up leftover vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Make sure that any meat that you add is already cooked. Consider using leftover starches as well: potatoes, corn, beans, pasta, croutons, and rice have all found homes in my frittatas. Here's a quick list of ideas.

Shrimp, Baby Corn, Thai Basil, Green Curry Paste
Tomato, Spaghetti, Basil
Corn, Poblano, Chorizo
Potato, Hard Chorizo, Piquillo
Smoked Sausage, Ricotta, Chive, Pecorino
Spinach, Feta, Tomato, Oregano
Broccoli, Bacon, and Swiss Cheese
Rapini, Cannellini, and Porcini
Smoked Sausage, Onion, Tomato, Pesto
Sausage, Mushroom, and Smoked Gouda
Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Capers
Chorizo, Jalapeño, Cilantro, Queso Fresco
Salmon, Red Onion, Dill, Lemon Zest
Asparagus, Bacon, and Cheddar
Caramelized Onion, Pancetta, and Cheddar
Roasted Chicken, Corn, Poblano, Oaxaca Cheese

Pancetta, Rapini, and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Bread Cubes, Fresh Tomato, and Basil

Spaghetti Squash, Pine Nuts, Nutmeg, and Lemon Zest

Crab, Herbed Cream Cheese, and Chives

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese

Wild Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Brie

Fennel, Tomatoes, and Olives