I’ve made quiches for years, but have never tried my hand at a frittata. Due to some recent diet changes (no cheese/diary), I need a new go-to brunch dish and I think the frittata fits the bill.
My questions are this:
What pan do you find works best for a frittata? Will any non-stick do?
What cooking method do you use? Do you cook the eggs on the stovetop for a few minutes and then finish in the oven? or is the entire cook done in the oven?
Do you have a go-to temperature/cooking time?
I was planning to add some coconut milk to the egg mixture - but wasn’t sure how much. My guess is it wouldn’t be as much as dairy in a quiche - I was thinking about a 1/4 cup of coconut milk per 8 eggs.
If using a 10" pan, and I want a thicker frittata, do I simply use more eggs and/or fillings? How many eggs is typical for a 10" frittata?
Any other tips/suggestions for success?
TIA!
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
2
I use a nonstick pan with tapering sides. It releases easily and I like the look of the slight tapered frittata. I tried using cast iron but prefer the non stick.
I follow Marcella Hazans instructions for stove top with finish under broiler.
Melt butter over med. heat until just beginning to foam. Add eggs and turn down to low. Once eggs have cooked enough that they have set with just surface runny put under broiler for a few seconds.
no idea…
Hazan uses 6 eggs for a simple cheese frittata, 5 eggs for recipes with vegetables added. All her recipes call for a 10" pan.
You’ll need to experiment for a thicker frittata. It may be tricky to make it thicker without over cooking the exterior or under cooking the interior. I’ve been very pleased with her ratio.
“What pan do you find works best for a frittata? Will any non-stick do?”
i like cast iron.
“What cooking method do you use? Do you cook the eggs on the stovetop for a few minutes and then finish in the oven? or is the entire cook done in the oven?”
oven
“Do you have a go-to temperature/cooking time?”
400-degree for 20 minutes (8-inch pan, 6-8 eggs)
I was planning to add some coconut milk to the egg mixture - but wasn’t sure how much. My guess is it wouldn’t be as much as dairy in a quiche - I was thinking about a 1/4 cup of coconut milk per 8 eggs.
good place to start.
“If using a 10” pan, and I want a thicker frittata, do I simply use more eggs and/or fillings? How many eggs is typical for a 10" frittata?"
more eggs. i use 6-8 for an 8-inch cast iron pan. for an 10-inch pan, 12 should work.
“Any other tips/suggestions for success?”
pre-heat pan in at 450-degrees while i get things together. the egg mixture will sizzle when poured in and form a nice crust.
i wouldn’t worry too much about that. when coconut milk is used with other ingredients, especially highly flavored ingredients, it’s flavor is barely noticeable. like dairy, it adds a richness.
Yes, this. I always use the oven – so much simpler! And I use a glass baking dish because sometimes if the center won’t set (or I’m running out of time) I put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
Frittata is awesome. You can serve it for any meal. You can make it vegetarian (or not). You can put almost anything in it: traditional, exotic, mild, spicy, etc. You can serve it hot or cold. Everyone likes it. It’s definitely a cornerstone of my entertaining repertoire.
I use either a nonstick muffin pan or a glass square that i oil (muffin tin comes in handy for guests with various dietary requirements, and they’re cute:))
Oven only, just under 400
Just be sure it’s UNsweetened coconut milk
More added veggies =better for me- if using mushrooms saute before adding to reduce extra liquid, adding frozen spinach is great, just be sure to get allll the liquid out
I tried my hand at a ‘small’ frittata (5 egg) and it came out dense and sort of rubbery (I ended up cooking the whole thing on the stovetop). I’m thinking I either overcooked it - or it really needs some cheese in it. Has anyone pulled off a cheese-free frittata with success? The next one I make, I’ll try the baking dish method!
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
9
I seldom use cheese. Sounds like the temp was too high. The lower the temp the more tender the result.
If you’re looking to do a large fritata (large as in thicker) it can get tricky because it is harder to cook it all the way through without overlooking or burning one side - because of that I highly recommend starting on the stovetop and finishing in the oven (instead of the broiler).
As far as pans go - if you have two pans the same size, you can always cheat a little and start it in one pan and then flip it into another (very useful with larger ones, just sandwich the pans and flip).
If you also want to do thick and don’t want to use dairy (which definitely helps to lighten a thicker fritata) may I recommend the Italian trick of using left over, un-sauced pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, etc) as a “filler” in the fritata. It definitely helps “lighten” the overall feel of a thick fritata.
Mine are all cheese and dairy free. I wisk eggs with a splash of water or nondairy milk, add veggies, dump in oiled glass dish and bake. Center should have a slight wobble when you take out and look almost too wet - this sets up as it cools slightly in pan for 5-10min, then cut and serve.
Think yours was overcooked (easy to do on stovetop)
I use 5-6eggs , maybe 1/4c water or nondairy unsweetened milk, more veggies than i should. 8" square pyrex glass baking dish, at 350. I check at 15min but usually needs another 5-10min (but I’m paranoid about overcooking it!)
I never cook my frittate with cheese and I always cook all of them on the stovetop in a small non-stick frying pan, using about 4 or 5 eggs, depending on the size of the egg. I usually coat the pan with oil and first sauté whatever I am using for excitement in the bottom of the pan – thin sliced onion, sliced tomato, sliced zucchini or their flowers, or artichoke hearts, plus some herbs – then I pour the beaten eggs over that sauté (often containing more fresh herbs + salt, pepper). I cook on a low-ish flame.
I’ve never mastered the trick of flipping a frittata, so when the edges are cooked and the top is starting to set, I slide the frittata onto a large plate, and flip it back into the same hot pan. For myself, I usually turn off the heat at that point and let it finish that way, but my husband likes his eggs quite firm, so I continue with the heat if we’re dining together – but only for a moment.
We eat our frittate at room temp, so it is usually the first thing I cook when I am making a meal, and set it aside while I make the first courses.
If you don’t read Italian, you can use Google Translate for this recipe in Italian, but you can see that in Italy, a frittata is generally not put in the oven, but is flipped on the stovetop. Nor does it necessarily have cheese. It is the cook’s choice about what to add to the eggs other than salt and pepper.
I don’t put cheese in mine, but if I were going to do so, I would not pick a cheese that seizes up when heated (like parmigiano reggiano) or exudes too much liquid (like mozzarella), and I would only add the cheese after the eggs had mostly cooked. And of course then you might prefer to eat the frittata while it is still hot, rather than room temp, at which point it might unpleasantly congeal. (I just looked on the internet for Italian recipes for frittate with cheese, and they use gruviera (aka Gruyere)
I don’t think Italian recipes or traditions are the end-all-be-all of cooking, even an Italian dish, but since a frittata is an Italian dish, I thought I would pass along how it is done in Italy – although I wouldn’t bet against somebody who swears they can find Italians who put parmigiano in their frittate and shove it in the oven!
I make frittatas a lot, usually potato and onion (and cheeses), trying to get one started because I have a meeting tonight, and noted I often refer to this template.
