Recipe: Country Frittata (makes two 10-inch frittatas)

COUNTRY FRITTATA
Source: Kitchen Coach: Weekend Cooking by Jennifer Bushman
Makes 2 (10-inch) frittatas

Frittatas are thick Italian omelets. Instead of being filled and rolled, the filling ingredients are stirred into the egg mixture and then cooked on both sides until puffy and golden brown. Frittatas are fun and easy to put together - they don't require a time-consuming crust the way their quiche cousins do. I make two frittatas with this recipe. They can be cooked up to an hour in advance and served room temperature. If you are serving a buffet, try dividing the filling into muffin tins and baking mini omelets at 350 degrees F for ten minutes.

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely Chopped white onion (from about 1/2 medium onion)
1 cup seeded and deveined, sliced red bell pepper (from about 1 small pepper)
Pinch of salt
1 cup seeded and diced tomato (from about 1 medium tomato)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (from 1 medium clove)
12 Large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup half and half (from 1/2 pint)
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (from 4 ounces)
4 cup freshly chopped basil*
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (from 4 ounces)
Lightly seasoned sour cream and fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until soft and tender, without browning. about minutes. Add the tomato and garlic and cook until the garlic is tender and fragrant, another 3 minutes. Divide the vegetable mixture between two 10-inch ovenproof skillets.

While the vegetables are cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. half and half, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, basil, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper.

Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to each skillet with the vegetables. Over heat, as the butter is melting, swirl the pans to coat the bottom of each. Pour half of the egg mixture into each skillet and stir the eggs with a fork from the outer edges to the center of the pan, just until the eggs begin to set, about 5 minutes.**

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the top of the frittata with the grated cheese and continue to bake about another 2 minutes, until the center set.

Remove from the oven, cool slightly, slice, and serve with some lightly seasoned sour cream and fresh basil.

*Always chop basil at the last minute to keep it from becoming an unappetizing black color.

**The key to a great, creamy frittata is to keep slowly stirring the eggs with a fork into the center of the pan just until they begin to set.