037: Potato and Broccolini Frittata

Eggs +

Welcome to Home Cooking Diary, a newsletter on my journey as a home cook—the successes and failures alike. Part cooking log, part recipe recommender, and part chronicle of my thoughts as I feed myself and my family. This installment is a bit of an ode to the frittata, accompanied by a recipe.

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We’re gearing up for a grocery run, and the fridge is getting pretty spare. In truth I planned to shop this morning (yesterday morning by the time you’re reading this) with Tycho but instead of napping he played in his crib for two hours and then began hollering, so I got him up and cobbled together a lunch of chickpeas, leftover pasta, and a bit of tuna salad (even though they say not to give tuna to children under two, I sometimes do). Afterward he seemed so tired that I immediately put him back in his crib, and after chatting loudly at his Polar Bear for 15 minutes finally passed out. Pretty sure we’re headed for the one nap life, which means less time to myself, but more opportunites to do things away from home—life less beholden to two-to-three hour intervals between naps. Since I’m not entirely certain we’ll get to the grocery store today I’m running low on options. One thing I always have in abundance is eggs. With eggs in the fridge I know I’ll be able to feed us, and eggs happen to be something he’ll always eat (*knock wood*).

One of the heartiest things I know to make with eggs is a frittata. A bit like a Spanish tortilla, frittatas are what I would describe as “Eggs +” It can be as simple or as extra as you want. The frittata I make most often involves only one ingredient besides the eggs—usually chopped spinach or grated zucchini. If I have the energy (I usually don’t in the morning), I’ll add a chopped allium as well. More often than not it’s just the spinach or zucchini in a pan of shimmering olive oil, sauteed for a minute or two until wilted or cooked, then the whisked eggs (4) are added. I lower the heat a bit, cover the pan, and set a timer for 5 minutes—no oven involved.

That’s an everyday frittata (made with the goal of giving veggies to my child), but if we’re talking brunch on our porch on a late Sunday morning, it’s more involved. I whisk a bunch of eggs (8-12, depending on the number of people) very thoroughly, to ensure the whites and yolks are fully emulsyifed together, combine them with cooked vegetables and add some dairy, before popping it into the oven. Because eggs are the perfect canvas, frittatas are endlessly adaptable, and I would argue that virtually any ingredient would work (as long as they’re prepared properly first). When cooked well (just set), the eggs of a frittata have the right airiness and a heavenly texture but also showcase their accompanying ingredients perfectly.

The following recipe, a Potato and Broccolini Frittata, is a breakfast I made over Memorial Day weekend for some friends. The Yukon Gold potatoes give it a Spanish Tortilla vibe, and the broccolini is a bit charred in the cast iron pan giving it a smokiness that contrasts nicely with the starch. Finally, the dairy I used was sour cream, but I think Greek Yogurt would work beautifully too.

xo AV

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Potato and Broccolini Frittata (serves 6)

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 bunch broccolini or broccoli rabe, roughly chopped (tough stems finely chopped)

2-3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

10 large eggs

1/2 c sour cream

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 F degrees. Begin heating a large cast iron skillet on medium heat, and once very hot add the olive oil and butter. Once melted and shimmering add the broccolini stems and saute until browned and a bit charred (about 5 minutes, but will depend on your pan and heat). Add the onion and sautee until translucent, and then the rest of the broccolini. Season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until bright green and a bit browned.

2. Add the potatoes, a bit more salt and pepper, and toss. Cook, tossing regularly with a wooden mixing spoon, until fork tender (10-ish minutes)

3. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and some salt in a medium bowl until the whites are completely broken up and emulsifyed with the yolks. Add the sour cream, whisking to combine.

4. Once the potatoes are tender, pour the egg and sour cream mixture over the broccolini and potatoes. Use a fork to maneuver the ingredients so they are evenly distributed throughout the skillet, if needed.

5. Put the skillet in the oven for 25 minutes, until the eggs are set and the frittata is a bit browned on top. Be wary of letting it go too long and overcooking the eggs.

6. Serve by itself, with hot sauce, or alongside a salad or fresh fruit.

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While I have you, some recommendations

Something to watch / I’m not much of a reality TV person, but we’ve been dipping into Old seasons of Top Chef (streaming on Peacock) and it holds up! It’s so good. I can’t remember when I stopped watching it in real time, but there were several early seasons I followed when they first aired. I of course remember the season of Carla (how could anyone forget her?) and Stefan (season 5 is most iconic, yes?), and the guy with the really intense hair that everyone hated, but it had been a very very very long time since I watched. Padma and Tom and Gail are so good. And I had never really appreciated what a joy of a human Emeril Legasse seems to be. We’re currently watching season 10, which is really good (don’t google it unless you want it spoiled).

Something to drink / This Dry Riesling from Bloomer Creek Vineyard is my current favorite. It has quite a lot of skin contact, which gives it the tell-tale tannic mouthfeel that I’d normally never expect from a riesling. I bought it from Liberty Street Liquors, my current go-to.

Something to read / E. Alex Jung’s profile of Drew Barrymore in New York Magazine made me shed real tears. I have always loved her and find her career to be fascinating in the way that its changed so dramatically at its myriad stages (I almost said redemptive but felt that sounded condescending). I’m not a watcher of her daytime talk show (I’m also not much of a talk show person), but I appreciate the way she is taking the format in another direction and how she is one of the only people that celebrities would engage with in that way. Also, anyone for whom Drew’s famous (infamous?) David Letterman interview is burned into their brain will find this segment engrossing.