Frittata – the Perfect Last-Minute Dinner
Friday, April 13, 2012 at 1:00AM 
This dish is as simple as it gets. With just a few pantry staples, you'll have a delicious and satisfying meal in minutes.
Growing up in a household where both parents worked outside the home, this dish was perfect for the nights when we all got home late. We served it with a simple green salad.
A frittata is essentially an open-faced omelet. It's prepared in one pan so clean up is easy. I used a nonstick sauté pan but you could also use a cast iron skillet and finish the frittata off in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes, instead of cooking it on the stovetop.
This frittata is made with potatoes and leeks but you could swap them out for other vegetables you have on hand. If you are a meat lover, you could add cooked sausage, chicken or ground beef. Even seafood like smoked salmon would work nicely in this dish.
If you are trying to cut back on the amount of eggs you eat, substitute egg whites for the whole eggs. If you’re not an egg lover, just use less eggs and more filling.
I like to use butter to sweat the leeks; it gives the leeks a silkier texture. I also add some olive oil. Olive oil can be heated to a higher temperature then butter, so by combining the two, it prevents the butter from burning.
Once the frittata is almost done, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or any fresh herbs such as basil or cilantro. Always add fresh herbs at the end of the cooking process to maintain their freshness and color, as opposed to dry herbs, that are used to flavor the dish while cooking.
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Potato and Leek Frittata
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, white part only, sliced ¼-inch thick, about 2 cups
2 cups (10 ounces) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch dice
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Heat a large nonstick pan (about 11 inches) over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil and heat until butter has melted. Add leeks and let them sweat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You want the leeks to wilt, but not caramelize and turn brown.)
Add potatoes, bay leaf and a pinch of salt and pepper.. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. When potatoes are just tender, remove bay leaf and add egg mixture to pan, stirring gently to incorporate all ingredients. Cook for about 6 minutes, just until eggs are set; sprinkling with parsley about a minute before eggs are done.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
Note: You can cover the skillet with a lid while eggs are cooking to speed up the cooking process. Or, if you’re using a skillet with an oven-proof handle, such as a cast iron skillet, once the eggs are added to the pan and stirred, you can place the skillet in a pre-heated 375°F for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are set, instead of cooking on stovetop.
Zoe McLaughlin was born in Paris and grew up in San Francisco. Her international background has influenced her love of cooking and her dedication to learning about global cuisines and cooking methods. Zoe is a recent graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris. She followed her degree with an intensive stagiare position at a bistro in Paris before returning to San Francisco. Zoe enjoys sharing the knowledge and skills she has learned from her culinary degree, apprenticeships and world travel. She is the author of a self-published cookbook, Around our Table, focusing on Asian and French cuisines.
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Reader Comments (2)
Looks delicious! What a great quick recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
I'm going to make this for dinner tonight! Looks great. I bet it would be great with some cheese, too.
More recipes, please!