Fritta

December 17, 2023

Most days I practice intermittent fasting and skip eating until afternoon.  The idea is to designate 16 hours of fast followed by an 8 hour eating window.  This worked initially as a diet method, but I have not continued to lose weight.  I have continued the practice regardless and after three years it is now part of my daily habit.  The only problem I have with this routine is the foods generally served at breakfast are some of my favorite dishes.  I have compromised and sometimes make a breakfast entrée for lunch (or dinner).  Saturdays are the exception, and I generally fix a mid-morning breakfast.  I was sidetracked yesterday and around noon Melissa said she was going to reheat the chicken enchiladas I had made the night before.  I said OK but had been thinking about making another breakfast meal.  When I began putting the dish together Melissa changed her mind and decided she would also like to eat my frittata.

When I went online, I found Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish like an omelet, a crustless quiche, or even scrambled eggs that is enhanced with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables.  Frittata is derived from the Italian word friggere and roughly means “fried”.  This was originally a general term for cooking eggs in a frying pan (skillet) and referred to anything from a fried egg to a conventional omelet to an Italian version of the Spanish omelet that was made with fried potato.  Outside Italy, frittata was the equivalent to “omelet” until at least the mid-1950s.  While British chef Delia Smith describes the frittata as “Italy’s version of an open-face omelet”, there are four key differences.  Additional ingredients are added to the beaten egg mixture while the eggs are still raw and not laid over the mostly cooked eggs which are then folded.  The eggs are often beaten vigorously to incorporate more air and create a fluffier result.  The mixture is cooked over a very low heat for at least 5 minutes (typically 15) to allow the underside to set up but the top to still be runny.  Finally, the partially cooked frittata is not folded like an omelet but is instead either turned over in full or briefly set under a grill or baked for 5 minutes.

While that may be the Italian way to make a frittata, it is not how I prepare the dish (surprised?).  I do not fry my dish at all, and instead bake it in the oven.  I am not alone in this method as many of the frittata recipes in the US use a similar process.  My frittata started with a base of shredded potatoes in a casserole dish.  I then diced onions and peppers and scattered them over the potatoes.  The egg mixture is scrambled along with the preferred meat (crumbled bacon or ham) and pored over vegetables.  A layer of cheese completes the dish, which is baked in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.  This cooks the potatoes while the cheese protects the eggs from drying out.  While this is different than the recipes I have found, it tastes great.  The Pioneer Woman website states, “Use any ingredients you want!  Mushrooms, leeks, different cheeses, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers.  Have fun!”  I will admit, what goes into my frittata often depends on what is available.

Thoughts:  The first frittata I made was for brunch served to 75 alums prior to a graduation ceremony.  I was the director’s assistant, and the school did not have money for catering.  I used a recipe supplied by my boss that had breadcrumbs for the base rather than shredded potatoes.  This egg casserole became the basis for what I now call frittata.  Frittata is not the only US dish that has been changed from its traditional recipe.   Most commercially prepared “traditional” dishes are altered to adhere to the US palate and “ethnic food” in America can be unrecognizable to native diners.  Our favorite Chinese restaurant has two menus, one for Americans and an authentic menu.  This includes many of the same dishes, but they are prepared differently.  We prefer to order from the authentic version.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.