TL;DR: frittata #help needed!
My niece is getting married next weekend and I have just learned I have been assigned the tast of making frittatas for pre-wedding #brunch. I'm a capable home cook, but my partner generally handles all breakfasty-things, so I'm not exactly in my comfort zone here.
Please send me your best frittata #recipes and tips, esp. re #cooking for a crowd! Assume I'm an idiot.
Thank you!!!
@thekitmalone Thanks! 6 eggs in a 9" skillet?
And would you alter it for cast iron? (it's all I got)
I actually use a 9" cast iron for almost everything! You might experiment with quantity because I'm infamous for just eyeballing things until they look right.
You don't want it to be so deep (around 1/2-3/4") that it doesn't set up well in the oven.
If you need to cook *many* of these you might try doing several kinds in pie pans (if you have them) at once to save time. Or if you don't need variety, you could even use a big baking dish or cake pan.
@DrTCombs @thekitmalone cast iron is great if you want to brown the outside a little extra. If so, heat the cast iron pan for about 10 minutes before pouring your mixture in. The eggs should sizzle for a sec as you pour.
If you don't want to do that, you can follow the same recipe the other person listed above with a cold pan, but you might want to grease with butter or crisco to help keep it from sticking.
@DrTCombs @thekitmalone one more tip, don't sweat any "mistakes".
Stuck to the pan? Some people like more crispy parts. Too many veggies? Too few? Personal preference.
There's a huge range of what people call a frittata, from an ingredient heavy omelet made just on the stove to a crust-less quiche put in the oven cold.
If the ingredients combo tastes good and no one gets sick, that's all that really matters. All the rest is preference.
OH! And don't miss on bacon or even pancetta or prosciutto if you're feeling fancy.
This post has revealed to me that I have a lot of frittata opinions, apparently lol
@thekitmalone what is social media for if not exploring one's own opinions!
@DrTCombs The #1 most important tip I will pass on is *make your fillings in advance*. You can toss all sorts of things into frittatas, and it's so much easier if you cooked up the fillings a day or two before and put 'em in the fridge.
The second tip is to figure out how many ladles of liquid your frittata pan takes. That way you can have a big bowl of egg mix all ready and know you just need one or two (or whatever) scoops of egg. Plus someone can possibly refill the egg bowl while you work
@wordshaper Thanks! So I mix the pre-cooked tasty bits in with the raw eggs ahead of time? Or do you mean prep just the tasty bits ahead of time?
@DrTCombs Prep the tasty bits ahead of time. Then when you make a frittata you ladle in the egg mix, scoop in some filling, and then cook.
If you cook the filling bits separately (one bin of onion, one of red pepper, one of cubed ham, one of green pepper, one of mushrooms, one of cheese...) you can even semi-easily do made-to-order (or at least made-to-respect-food-issues) fritattas.
Normally I'd say cook things together but in this circumstance separate is easier.
@DrTCombs The pre-cooked stuff will last a couple of days so for a wednesday breakfast you can be frying up peppers and mushrooms and such on monday afternoon. Mise en place and prep work makes these kinds of things *so* much easier.
@wordshaper So basically prep like I'm going car camping. This I can do.
@DrTCombs Also there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a brand new non-stick frying pan of the exact size you want for frittata making. (Heck, if you're giving the wedding couple a gift, give 'em a cookware set that conveniently has that pan in it and just use it)
@wordshaper Oh they have already received the world's fanciest instant pot from me and they better enjoy the heck out of that sucker.
@DrTCombs Hah! :) Those are nice, to be sure. Alas I can't think of a way to make frittatas in one or I'd say use that.
Normally I'd say a good well-seasoned carbon steel pan is the way to go for this event, but unless you've got one handy already *and* are comfortable using it then nonstick is less hassle and a new one's both cheap and will make your cooking life so much easier.
@wordshaper OH I have so many carbon-steel related questions. I have somehow acquired an unseasoned one and it has refused my attempts to season it. It's way too precious for my kitchen, I fear.
@DrTCombs I have a small carbon steel pan I use for omelets. I find that using a good amount of oil, preheating the pan well, and just wiping it clean (not washing, it rusts) has kept it surprisingly non-stick and unfiddly.
@DrTCombs If cooking for a large crowd, you can reduce your stress by doing a large frittata as a tray bake in the oven. Put a high sided pan on an oven tray and warm in a 350F oven. Dump some bacon fat in the pan to melt and swish it around to cover the pan surface. Pre cook your fillings (onion, pepper, whatevs) on the stovetop. Beat a crapload of eggs, add the fillings, season, dump it all into the prewarmed pan, and shove it in the oven until set and puffy. Enjoy a mimosa.
@virge This is my speed right here!
@DrTCombs This has a good descrition.
I just make individual ones in a bun tin, mix up eggs, cream and black pepper. Put grated cheddar cheese in each bun space, top with ham or chives or whatever and spoon in a couple of large spoons of the egg mix into each, cook on 180C for about 11-12 mins until just set (ie they don't wobble when shaken). Serve cold.
@tiggy I'm going to try this for dinner mostly because reading it is making my mouth water. Thank you!
@tiggy omg that looks so good.
smoked paprika is one of my absolute favorite ingredients
@DrTCombs
Basic but key: Two bowls for egg opening, in order to prevent mishaps.
Another basic tip is to work with a baking tray instead of a pan if the crowd is too big.
Two or three options are the best way to go: A simple, almost bland (in taste terms) option, a mixed one with medium flavor and a strong one for those with a daring palate.
Or you can work with a basic "canvas" and bring toppings for the guests to add to their portion
Remember: Great dips for bread or veggie sticks.
😅😋🤓
the "trick" is getting them fluffy.
i've had good luck with adding a bit of dairy (milk, light cream) when whisking the eggs. but the weird one that also works is a bit of cooked white rice whisked into the eggs (maybe generous tbsp per 3 eggs?). found the rice trick handy with a couple of lactose intolerant family members.
dusting the frittata with grated parmesan or pecorino as you move from stove top to oven also helps with rising and makes both a tasty and visually pleasing crust on top.
almost anything you like can go in. i use frittatas as a great way to get rid of odd bits of veggies in the fridge.
@paul_ipv6 Rice! I'd never have thought of that!
And the dusting trick is a good one. I'm going to try it out soon and will report back.
Thank you!
RE: rice. nothing like family/friends with dietary issues to really expand your bag of tricks. :)
@DrTCombs
I usually wing 'em and my best advice is not to overthink! Baked frittatas are an awesome simple option for a crowd! My basic is something like 6 eggs, just a splash of cream, a bit of some kinda shredded cheese, selt+pepper to taste. Bake at like 385F until solid but not overdone.
From there just mix it up! Sweet peppers, carmelized onions or red onion, mushroom, sausage/chorizo, goat cheese, ricotta, fresh herbs, spinach are all favs depending on what I have on hand that day.