Easy French Frittata

This omelette is inspired by the best breakfast I ever had, which was at a little French cafe in Montreal two summers ago.  Ben and I drove up there and stayed for about a week, and this meal has been stuck in my head ever since.  The whole trip was pretty great (it was our first vacation together), but this omelette was a definite highlight, and I've been trying to recreate it ever since.  I'm really mad at myself because I can't remember the name of the cafe--I didn't have a blog back then, so there wasn't an easy place to store my restaurant ramblings.  If it comes to me, I'll be sure to update this post with a link.

Here's a picture of our breakfasts that day: my omelette had Brie and spinach, and Ben's had duck confit and gruyere.  Both were deliciously creamy, with eggs cooked to perfection and thick slices of cheese that were barely melted in the middle.  They were amazing.  The sides of hash browns, buttery baguette, and breakfast beans were also ridiculously tasty.

In my attempts to recreate this breakfast, I've learned a few important things.  First of all, don't make your omelette in the broiler.  Yes, it's the fastest way, and yes, the top will be beautifully browned and puffy, but the eggs will be overcooked.  It will still taste good, but it won't be reminiscent of what you'd get at a little French bistro in Quebec.

Next, do not grate the cheese.  Do not chop it up into tiny pieces.  You need big, thick slices of cheese for this.  Part of what makes this frittata so delicious is being able to taste all the components separately, so you don't want your cheese disappearing into your eggs.

Finally, do not overcook the frittata.  Even though you're not broiling it, it's still easy to cook it for too long.  You want to take the omelette out when it's just set, or even a tiny bit underdone.  The eggs can finish cooking on the way to your plate/belly.

With those three lessons in mind, it's easy to customize this meal to your liking.  You can use almost any vegetable instead of the asparagus (another favorite of mine is chopped zucchini and shallots), or make it with just eggs and cheese.  Any cheese will work, but I especially love Brie or goat cheese.  If you like, you can also add bacon--fry it first, remove it from the pan and roughly chop it, then cook the veggies in a bit of the bacon fat.  Since I'm trying to avoid bread, potatoes, and beans, I like to serve this with a little side salad or some fresh fruit.

I am still not sure I have quite reached the level of that omelette I had in Montreal, but all my attempts have been really yummy, so I thought it was time I shared the recipe with you!

Easy French Frittata
Yield: 2 large or 4 small servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, ghee, or butter
8-10 asparagus stalks (about half a bunch), trimmed and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 eggs, beaten
2 ounces Brie or other soft cheese, thickly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Heat one teaspoon of the butter or oil in an 8-inch cast iron skillet over medium low heat.  Add the asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of butter or oil to the pan, and swirl to coat the bottom and a bit of the sides of the pan.  Pour in the eggs, and reduce the heat to low.  Place the cheese and asparagus on top.  When the edges of the omelette are beginning to set, transfer the pan to the oven.

Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until just set.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven (don't forget to use an oven mitt).  Slice into wedges and serve immediately. If you leave the frittata in the pan for too long (perhaps because you're taking a million photos of it), the eggs can become slightly overcooked.

If you have any frittata left over, you can refrigerate it and heat it up the next morning.  I thought mine tasted just as good, or perhaps even a bit better, the next day.

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