Page 18 - Italian-American Herald - November 2024

18 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | NOVEMBER2024 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD THE CHEF’S PERSPECTIVE
Italian-style frittatas take your egg creations to the next level
By Murray Schulman
When this time of year comes around, things can get hectic very quickly at my house. Cooking,
shopping, decorating, and everything else connected to the holiday season takes up every minute. I’m sure that it is no different in your home.
With all the rushing around, we still
need to prepare meals that are quick, filling, healthy, and most importantly delicious. When we suddenly realize that we are hungry and have nothing prepared, I go into the refrigerator and pull out whatever I find. My go-to food is eggs. I use eggs not only for breakfast. They make the perfect ingredient for lunch or dinner. Aside from the typical scrambled, poached, boiled, or fried eggs,
my favorite styles of eggs are the frittata and every now and then, strata. These Italian-style omelets are eaten throughout Italy. Every region has its own version of these dishes. Frittatas have also found a home among Italian Americans. The following are two versions that I love to prepare and enjoy.
The first and easiest to describe is strata. It is a casserole that is layered with egg, bread, and cheese. I beat my eggs with some milk
to add fluffiness. The bread must be a good rustic loaf cut into cubes, and the cheese should be an aged sharp cheese. I season the casserole with fresh basil, parsley, and chives. Most of the time I add baby spinach and diced tomato just because I like it. Prepare a casserole dish with oil and butter. This keeps the strata from sticking and adds another layer of flavor. I layer the ingredients into the casserole dish starting with the cubed bread and topped with the tomato and chopped chives. My method is to add some of my cheese into the egg and herb mixture along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste. This mixture gets poured over the bread, tomato, and chives. I top the dish with the rest of the cheese. The casserole is placed into a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Be sure to test the center for doneness. Every oven is different and yours may take a minute or two more than mine. I like the top of
the strata well browned. I flash the baked casserole under the broiler for a minute or two. This is a matter of personal taste. Allow the strata to rest for 5-8 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy.
The frittata is the Italian-style omelet
that I most often prepare. There are so
many variations to this dish. So let your imagination take flight. The most impressive frittata presentation that I prepare is the stacked frittata. This is three distinct and different frittatas that complement each other stacked in layers. The frittatas are prepared in a deep sauté pan. The egg mixture consists of eggs, milk, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. These ingredients are whisked together until just combined. Don’t overbeat the mixture. Prepare enough of this base mixture to prepare the three frittatas. I use a dozen eggs and 1 1⁄2 cups of milk for my mixture. Once you have this base, the fun begins. My first layer is usually a roasted potato, bacon and onion layer. I prepare the potatoes by cutting them with the peel on and tossing them with a thin coating of olive oil, the chopped pancetta bacon and chopped Vidalia or sweet onions. I season this mixture with a touch of salt and pepper and place the mixture flat in my air fryer where it cooks for 22 minutes at 400 degrees.
While this is cooking, I prepare my middle later which may be broccoli, chives and sliced mushrooms. The broccoli should be well blanched prior to assembling this layer. The top layer is usually Italian sweet and hot sausage with tricolor bell peppers. To put this all together, it can be done one at a time. Or the omelets may be finished in three pans at the same time. Prepare the sauté pans with olive oil and butter to coat the warm surface of the pan(s). Sauté each omelet’s ingredients in the pan as needed. Then add that base egg mixture that you prepared earlier, a third of the mixture per layer.
Work the ingredients into the egg mixture until each frittata starts to come together. Finish the frittatas under the broiler lightly browning the tops of each.
There is no need to flip the frittatas. When the three frittatas are ready, I begin to stack them placing a selection of sharp cheese of choice between each layer. Once stacked, the frittata tower goes onto a serving dish. Over the entire stacked frittata, I ladle my tomato
All the ingredients needed for Italian-style frittatas.
sauce. Just add a good sprinkle of cheese and a sprig of basil and bring the dish to the table. Stand back and watch everyone’s eyes light up. Stacked frittatas go perfectly with a great piece of bread and a glass of your favorite wine. Enjoy.
Murray Schulman, a columnist with the
Italian-American Herald for 12 years, has worked in the food business for more than
50 years, sharing his expertise in kitchens, offices and classrooms spanning several states. He retired in 2017 as head of prepared foods for Delaware Supermarkets Inc. He lives in Pennsville, N.J.
The most impressive frittata presentation that I prepare is the stacked frittata. This is three distinct and different frittatas that complement each other stacked in layers.