Onion, Kale and Andouille Frittata with Spicy Salad Microgreens
The frittata is an especially satisfying dish to prepare in summer when the addition of locally grown vegetables and herbs heighten its renown as an easy, healthy and inexpensive meal. The Italians may own the name, frittata, but its origin story is shared with the Spanish tortilla, Persian kuku sabzi and the French omelette, to name just a few. You might as well call the one you make whatever you like.
There are no required ingredients for a frittata other than eggs. It is easy to customize its thickness and control the time it takes to cook by adjusting the size of the skillet in relation to the quantity of ingredients. A frittata is delicious served hot or at room temperature any time of day or night. It makes a welcome leftover reheated in the microwave. What's not to like?
Frittata Mis en Place
On a recent evening, I prepared a frittata that featured kale and herbs (dill, basil, parsley) from my garden. I added a few pieces of andouille sausage, a sliver of jalapeño pepper, one-fourth cup grated Parmesan and half a yellow onion from the refrigerator. In a separate bowl, I thoroughly blended two large eggs, two whites and one-quarter cup cool water. My pantry staples included a clove of garlic, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
I first rinsed the kale, removed the thick center rib, rolled and sliced the leaves. Next I peeled and sliced the onion, then finely chopped the garlic and pepper. The herbs, finely minced, were stirred into the eggs along with salt and several turns of the black pepper grinder. Once all the ingredients were prepped, I fired up the heat under a nine inch stainless steel pan. It was showtime.
I let a thin layer of olive oil get very hot in the pan before I added the sliced onions. I turned down the heat and, let them cook, soften and turn translucent. After three minutes, I added the kale strips, scattered on some salt and stirred as they wilted. The andouille pieces went in next, and, a minute later, I cleared the center of the pan, added a splash of oil and dropped in the garlic and chili pieces. They sizzled as I stirred them for thirty seconds before mixing them in with the rest of the vegetables.
The garlic and chili pieces make their entry.
It was then time to pour in the eggs and shake the pan to distribute the thick liquid evenly among the vegetables. Given the large size of the pan and the relatively small number of eggs, this frittata cooked through in about a minute, or so it seemed. I sprinkled on the Parmesan cheese and briefly brown the surface under a broiler. I used a flexible spatula to gently free the frittata it from the bottom of the skillet and slid it onto my plate. Voila!
