Frittata Follies (or how I blew dinner)

Tuesday Lu went to visit her Mother and I went to work. I spent my lunch hour going from store to store looking for two things: a light fall jacket (black, with a regular collar, NOT a "hoodie") and a replacement head for my electric razor. I went to Burlington Coat Factory, Target and Best Buy and found nothing! I wasted my lunch.

Back at work, I went back to the Philips/Norelco website (where they said the replacement shaver head was available in both Target and Best Buy) and ended up buying it online.

Back home after work, Lu had just arrived. So, we chatted about her visit with her Mother. Finally it was time to make dinner. I volunteered to make frittata. Now, I have successfully made these in the past (spinach, asparagus, etc.) so I thought I could just wing it.

I cut off the florets on a head of broccoli, saving the stem in the freezer (peeled and sliced, it makes a great, sweet addition to winter stews and soups). I blanched some of them in a little water (maybe “steamed” is a better term), but not until they were soft (I wanted them with a little "crunch") and then shocked them in ice water to stop the cooking process. I let them cool and then drained them.

I went outside and grabbed some chives. I was going to get some thyme, but it was already dead so I picked some oregano. Back inside, I added two tablespoons of heavy cream to six eggs. I snipped in the chives and chopped oregano leaves that I’d stripped from their stems. I added a little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and then whisked the hell out of the mixture.

I heated up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter on medium heat. Once it was melted, I added the broccoli and the egg mixture. Then I cut a big plum tomato into chucks. I was going to seed it, but it was almost solid inside so I used it that way.

I turned on the broiler, and when all but the very top of the frittata looked solid, I sprinkled grated sharp cheddar cheese on top of it and stuck it in the oven. I watched it carefully (this step is where it’s easy to burn it) and when the cheese started to brown, I pulled it out. I let it rest for two minutes while Lu set the table.

I used a heat-proof spatula to run around the edges of the frittata and then slid it successfully onto a plate. I cut into it and was dismayed to see that it was all runny inside! We couldn’t decide if it was water from the vegetables (Lu’s theory) or raw egg (mine).

Now, here’s where I think I went wrong. In checking recipes I used in the past, I found you were supposed to sautéed the tomatoes and whatever other vegetable you use FIRST in the oil/butter mixture. I assume that reduces the water content. So, I’m guessing Lu’s theory is the correct one.

No, don’t misunderstand me, we did eat it. In fact we ate the whole damn thing (it didn’t “puff up” as much as ones in the past, which should have been another clue to me that something was wrong). And, it tasted great! But, the presentation sucked...

We watched a Kathy Griffin comedy show and then went to bed.