What a wonderful day to be alive! Did you know that today is National Eat What You Want Day? Well, it is. Eat What You Want Day was created by Thomas and Ruth Roy. It’s the one day a year when we are to eat without regrets. Love donuts? Go for it. Love greasy spoons or fat food joints, indulge away. This day was intended to be a guilt-free day.
When I heard about today, my brain did not go to Chili Cheese Dogs or deep fried chicken. Nope. My thoughts filled with foods that I adore that aren’t necessarily on the family-friendly menu. For example, I love Arugula. My guys swear that I’m feeding them weeds from the yard. While Kiddo and I adore goat cheese, Hubby would pass on anything containing goat. I adore gourmet fancy foods. My guys would rather eat a burger and fries. You can see where I’m going with this, right?
Let’s start with a beautiful brunch idea – the Italian Frittata. It’s an egg-based dish similar to an Omelette or crustless Quiche. Unlike an Omelette, when ingredients are placed on top of a full-cooked egg base that is then folded over, Frittata’s ingredients are combined with the beaten egg mixture while the eggs are still raw. Unlike a crustless Quiche, traditional Frittatas are cooked on a stove top rather than baked in an oven. With the help of a special set of pans, the Frittata is flipped midway through cooking, then flipped again before serving.
Note: This recipe, like most Frittata recipes, refers to cooking in a Frittata Pan. A Frittata Pan is actually two pans that fit together similar to an omelette pan. One is shallow, the other a deeper pan, both typically 8-inches or 10-inches round. If you do not have a Frittata Pan, two pans that fit together will work.
Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata
2 lb. Asparagus
1 Leek, thinly sliced and rinsed well
3 tablespoons Chives
1/4 teaspoon Tarragon Leaves
2 tablespoons Chervil (see note)
2 oz. Prosciutto
12 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Salt, plus more, to taste
White Pepper, to taste
6 oz. Goat Cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons Butter
Trim asparagus to remove any tough or woody ends. Steam asparagus until crisp-tender. Set aside to cool.
While the asparagus is steaming, rinse the leek well and slice as thinly as possible. Set aside.
Finely chop the chives, tarragon leaves and chervil. Set aside until ready to use.
Note: Chervil is similar to parsley but with a flavor more akin to Tarragon. If unavailable, increase Tarragon by 1/4 teaspoon and substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons of parsley for texture.
Cut prosciutto into 1/4-inch strips. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, chives, tarragon, chervil, prosciutto, the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir in 4 oz. of the goat cheese.
Cut enough asparagus ends into 1/4-inch lengths to measure 3/4 cup and add to the egg mixture. Reserve the remaining asparagus spears.
In the deep half of a Frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the leek and salt and cook until the leek is tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the egg mixture.
In the deep half of the pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the egg mixture and cook, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula to allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath as you would with an omelette, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the shallow pan upside down on top of the deep pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes more.
Remove from the heat, uncover the deep pan and arrange the reserved asparagus spears on top of the Frittata in a spoke formation. Meanwhile, set the shallow half of the pan over medium heat and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
Place the shallow pan upside down on top of the deep pan and flip the Frittata into the shallow pan. Cook, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip the Frittata back into the deep pan, then slide the Frittata onto a serving plate. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Top the Frittata with the remaining cheese and serve.
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