When we get back from a trip, our cupboard is pretty bare. Before we leave, we try to eat all the fresh produce and anything that might spoil while we’re gone, so, when we get home, there’s very little in the refrigerator or on the shelves to make a dinner. At times, we think that maybe we should just order out a pizza and worry more about making meals later. But, during our travels, we’ve been eating out most nights; the last thing we want to do is get some sub-par takeaway food. With a little thought, we come up with something that will keep us filled and fueled.
This week we had some help from Tortellini at Midnight and other heirloom family recipes from Taranto to Turin to Tuscany, by Emiko Davies, which we’d checked out of the library. We’d originally passed by this recipe, but, when we realized that we had everything needed in the house, we figured, why not?
Potato Frittata (Frittata di Patate)
Ingredients
- 400 g potatoes (2-3 medium, about 14 oz)
- 45 g extra-virgin olive oil (3 Tbs)
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 rosemary sprig leaves picked off and chopped
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 50 g cheese grated or thinly sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice potatoes very thinly. Place in an ovenproof skillet along with the oil and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through and some are crispy and browned, about 25 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add beaten eggs to the potatoes. If need be, press down potatoes so that they're covered. Season with salt and pepper and top with cheese. Continue to cook on the stove for 5 minutes.
- Place frittata in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the eggs are set.
Ingredient discussion:
The original recipe didn’t call for salt or pepper, so we added some. It also suggested adding water, about 2 tablespoons, to the potatoes while they cooked. We did, but that seemed to make them stick more. Finally, the original recipe called for Parmesan or Provolone cheese, but, we figure, use what you have, ideally a strong flavored cheese. We had Emmental (a Swiss cheese) in the house, so that’s what we used.
Procedure in detail:
Fry potatoes. Depending on the potatoes you use, you might skip the peeling. If we have organic potatoes, say, red or yellow, we might just go with slicing. With Russets, we peeled. Slice the potatoes very thinly. The recipe suggested slicing them as thinly as possible, but we doubted that meant paper thin, so we tried for about 1/16th of an inch. Once sliced, place them in a heavy oven-proof skillet (well-seasoned cast iron is perfect), along with the rosemary and oil, and fry over medium-low heat. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, too. As they fry, stir the potatoes around a bit. Don’t worry if some break apart; that’ll form creamy spots in the frittata. The original recipe suggested adding 2 tablespoons of water, too, and cooking them covered. We did, sort of, but we’re thinking that straight olive oil and uncovered will lead to more cripsiliciousness, so we suggest that. In about 25 minutes the potatoes should be fully cooked. Test them by taking a bite.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add eggs and cheese. If you haven’t done so already, whisk the eggs a bit. Don’t worry about getting them completely broken up, just whisk them pretty well. Add a bit of salt and pepper, if you want, and whisk again. Pour the eggs over the potatoes, and tilt the pan to cover everything with the eggs. If needed, press down the potatoes. Top with cheese and a bit more salt and pepper, and continue to cook, undisturbed, on the stove top for about 5 minutes.
Bake. Slide the frittata into the oven to finish off. In about 10 minutes, the eggs will be fully set and the cheese nice and melted. Remove from the oven and serve. A tip: that pan handle is mighty hot; you might want to cover it with a hot pad in case you forget. We know.
For something so simple, this makes a great meal, especially with a bit of bread on the side. It has some crispy bits of potato, some creamy bits, nice cheesy bits, all held together with rosemary flavored eggs. You could use this for a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Plus, it will taste great either hot or at room temperature, so you could use it for a picnic, too. Easy four-stars.
