Potato and Tomato Frittata with Chives

Welcome to the first official recipe co-created with my dad. I'm traveling in the U.S. at the moment, visiting family, and as usual Dad is wowing me with his fabulous eats. Yesterday I begged him for a frittata, an Italian egg dish that's much like a Spanish omelet. I prefer my dad's variation, which is with potatoes, spiced up with some vegetables and herbs from his backyard garden. Yum!

Let's talk quickly about which pan you should use. You need a pan that can work on the stovetop AND in the oven. I'm a big fan of the cast iron pan (or carbon steel, which is more pricey). But you can use any kind of non-stick pan you like that is stove and oven-safe. For this amount of eggs, a round pan with a nine-inch base should serve you well.

You can also make frittatas without potatoes (or tomatoes and chives, for that matter). This is a good base to play around with, but you can certainly substitute your own favorite veggies and cheeses as you like.

But if you choose this version, feel free to play "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" while you prepare the meal. You can pronounce potato and tomato however you like.

Servings: 3 to 4 people as a main course, 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 1.5 to 2 medium potatoes cut into 1/4 in. (2 cm) squares, enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
• 2 T butter or pure/virgin olive oil
• 2 T. of finely diced onion
• 6 large or 7 medium eggs
• 4 to 6 thin slices of cheese (a strong cheese like cheddar or fontina), enough to cover the surface of the frittata. You can also use grated parmigiana.
• 1 medium tomato, diced finely
• Salt and pepper to taste
• G-Spot Ingredient: 2 T. of finely chopped chives or green onions

Saute the potatoes until slightly browned.

Turn the broiler on and warm the oven.

Sauté the potatoes in the olive oil at medium heat. Add salt and pepper to the potatoes as they cook. Once the potatoes are almost cooked and just starting to get golden, add the onions and sauté until the potatoes are fully cooked and the onions turn slightly golden as well.

As the potatoes cook, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Make sure the potatoes and onions are evenly spread on the base of the pan, then pour the beaten eggs evenly over the potatoes and onions.

As the eggs begin to set, use your fork and move the eggs and potatoes around so more liquid egg touches the pan. Then let it cook for a couple of minutes at medium temperature, making sure it's not getting too brown on the sides. Lower the heat if it browns too quickly.

While the eggs are setting, add half the tomatoes and chives to the top of the frittata so they have time to sink in. Then add the slices of cheese as the frittata gets golden on the sides.

Once the frittata is cooked on the bottom, pull the pan off the heat and put it under the broiler. Watch the broiler carefully! At this point, you will likely have to move the pan around (if your broiler has hot spots) to make sure the frittata is evenly cooked. You can broil it to taste: you might want the top to be just barely golden on the sides, or you might want the whole surface to be golden. This shouldn't take more than five minutes. The color should be somewhere between golden and deep brown, but not too brown, because it will affect the flavor.

Sprinkle with the remaining chives and tomatoes, then serve hot or at room temperature.

Buon Appetito!

Here's a direct shot, so you can see how the ingredients were added on top.