Potato and Cheese Frittata

Eggs and I had a bit of a love-hate relationship this summer. I began the summer low-carb dieting (not healthy, not tasty, and definitely not blog-worthy--you can only post "put some chicken on some lettuce" so many times...), and eggs were a great breakfast for a low-carb dieter. However, I made the mistake of cooking eggs in some leftover bacon grease one morning, and all I could taste was toasted fattiness, triggering feelings of nausea for a good month whenever I so much as thought of an egg. 

But then, the egg begged me for a second chance, dropping the recipe for an egg and manchego cheese frittata into my lap. And I was able to put the past behind me and love the egg once more.

I actually came across the recipe in the cookbook Vegetarian Basics by Cornelia Schinharl and Sebastian Dickhaut. I tried to be a veggie for a brief time, but missed Taco Bell too much and quit--still have the book though. I'm glad I kept the book, too, because the frittata was AWESOME!

Now, I could list their ingredients for you, but I changed almost all of them (their directions and general idea of putting potatoes into an egg type deal were still very inspiring), so I will just tell you what I used:

-2 large Yukon gold potatoes

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 garlic cloves (minced)

-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

-8 eggs (medium-sized)

-Salt and pepper

-1 bunch green onions (reserve some for garnish)

-Chopped tomato for garnish

*I also ignored the cookbook's title and added four slices of centercut bacon. Just don't tell Cornelia and Sebastian...

First thing's first: if I were to make this frittata again--and I will make it again--I would try harder to find manchego cheese or at least substitute in a milder cheese. The cheddar stood out too sharply and just didn't seem...sophisticated enough for the dish. Same with the green onions--when I make this dish again, I will substitute in a Vidalia onion sauteed in a little butter instead to help the flavors meld a bit better. That said, this was still tasty. So, you have your ingredients:

First, peel your potatoes and cut them into thin slices--think scalloped-potato slices. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook your potato slices over medium heat (about 8-10 minutes, until they are soft). Here is where I would also slice and cook my Vidalia onion in butter (or you can chop and add in your green onions here as I did in reality), as well as any additional veggies if you'd like to add them in! Add the minced garlic (and crumbled slices of bacon if you want to defy the purpose of the cookbook like I apparently did) to the skillet, as well.

In a separate bowl, crack your eggs and whisk lightly. I chose to add my cheese here, since I just used shredded cheddar, as well as my salt and pepper. Had I found manchego cheese, I would have sliced it and added it to the layers of potato and onion in my skillet, not to my eggs. Only add 3/4 cup here--save the remaining 1/4 for the top of the frittata.

Here, I deviated from the cooking directions of the book (which involved cooking each side of the frittata for 10 minutes....there was flipping and it seemed complicated). Instead, I remembered a chef on a cooking show I'd seen earlier in the summer (it wasn't a food network guy, so I am afraid I can't identify or properly cite him) make a frittata and followed his method. So here's what you do:

First, preheat your broiler, then add your eggs to your skillet of potatoey goodness. Gently, cook the eggs for a few minutes as though you are scrambling them (i.e. use your spatula to pull the liquid egg away from the edges of the pan, till you start to see little bits of cooked egg forming in the skillet). When about half the egg looks cooked, but there is still liquid egg in the pan, leave it sit on the stove for one minute (to allow the egg on the bottom of the pan to set up), then top the frittata with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and place it under the broiler.

Watch the frittata closely, because it only needs about 5-7 minutes to finish cooking (and no flipping necessary!). When the egg has solidified and the cheese is melted, remove from the oven. Let it rest and completely finish cooking on the counter for a minute or two, then turn the frittata out on to a plate.

Finally, slice, serve, and enjoy for a yummy breakfast or for dinner as a variation on La Tortilla Espaniola for you tapas lovers!