Someone once mentioned to me that they hated frittatas, for some lame reason such as “real men don’t eat frittatas.” Well, Lorraine in the movie Swingers also stated “real men don’t eat quiches” but I don’t see that stopping anyone.
Well, whichever way you, uh, swing (pun intended) on that subject, frittatas are great, and it’s that person’s loss for hating them. See if I invite them over for brunch anytime soon. Jerks.
As far as ingredients go, regular bacon works fine here, but the apple-smoked bacon just seems so much more satisfactory. And, as you usually buy bacon pre-sliced, apple-smoked always comes much more thickly sliced, which is what you want here – you also don’t want to skimp on the actual meat, and thinly sliced bacon tends to be a very large percentage of just fat.
I actually made this a few days ago and burned the hell out of the bottom. Still edible, but the very bottom layer was toast. I blame the fact that I was up in Mammoth and the high altitude, combined with a very thin skillet pan and an electric stovetop, led to some cooking issues, but really you should be cooking this puppy on the stovetop only until the bottom sets and then finishing it up in the oven, under a broiler. I’ll include both ways, because I usually can’t find an oven-safe skillet/pan in a rented condo and have to improvise.
On a side note, I am a big fan of mushrooms. My roommate is not. Use if you’re not a big mushroom-hating baby. (I’m afraid of fungi!)
Apple-smoked bacon, (mushroom) and spinach frittata
- ½ lb. apple-smoked bacon, sliced thickly and diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, loosely packed
- 8 fresh eggs
- ½ cup cream (or milk)
- ½ cup grated gruyere or parmesan cheese
- 3 tbs. parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tbs. butter
- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
(If you’re using a heavy, oven-proof pan, preheat oven by turning on broiler.)
1. Heat a heavy, preferably oven-proof pan at least two inches deep over high heat, and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered and bacon starts to crisp (but not entirely). Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve bacon fat in a separate bowl. (By separating, the tiny bacon crumbs and any gristle will sink to the bottom, allowing for the clear rendered fat to be easily skimmed off the top.)
2. Wipe the pan clean. Add two tbs. bacon fat back to the pan, and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, and stir occasionally for two or three minutes. Add another tbs. of bacon fat, and add the mushrooms, if using. Cook for an additional five to eight minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened, and the onions have begun to caramelize. Add the spinach and stir well to wilt the spinach, about three minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Lower heat to very low.
3. Meanwhile, beat all the eggs together with the cream, grated cheese and chopped parsley. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to season. Beat until frothy.
4. Add the butter to the pan, making sure to pay attention to the edges of the spinach mixture. Turn up the heat to medium high. Mound the spinach mixture to the center of the pan (see picture: note – for that frittata, I used shrimp. So don’t be alarmed. Okay? Okay.) and pour the egg mixture into the middle of the mound, until all the egg has been poured in and the spinach mixture distributes evenly. (Which, it will.)
5. Cook, covered, until the bottom sets – about five to six minutes. Once this happens, and you’re using a heavy pan, transfer to the oven, and turn up to broil. Broil until the top sets, another four or five minutes. If you’re NOT using an oven-proof pan, which is me most of the time, then just lower the heat and cook covered for another eight or so minutes until the top sets. You should be okay if you’re not in Mammoth. ***
6. Once the top is set, run a spatula around the sides, and gently underneath till the whole thing is loose out of the pan. Slide onto a plate, cut into wedges and serve.
*** Okay, so for a fail-safe way of making sure both sides are cooked and not burnt without broiling – run a spatula around the sides and the bottom once the bottom has set. Slide out of the pan onto a plate. Cover with another plate, and invert. Then, slide it back onto the hot pan uncooked side down until set. Sort of messy but it works, but is hard to pull off.
