Recipe: Crabmeat Frittata with Tomatoes and Herbs

Crabmeat Frittata with Tomatoes and Herbs
rec.food.recipes/ResQ805/1997
Adapted from the Union Square Cafe Cookbook, HarperCollins, 1994
Serves 4 to 6

Here's a delightful open-faced omelet --perfect for brunch--that uses fresh crabmeat as its star ingredient. Serve with red rakleaf and bibb salad and roasted slices of sourdough either buttered or drizzled with olive oil.

10 eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced (1 cups)
1 cup thinly sliced basil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 pound fresh lump or flake crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage

In a bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy and season with half the salt and pepper.

In a nonstick 10-inch skillet, cook the garlic and shallots in the olive oil for 1 minute over moderate heat. Add the tomatoes, basil, and thyme, raise the heat, and continue cooking until most of the water from the tomatoes has evaporated.

Stir in the crabmeat, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute to heat through.

Stir the eggs into the skillet. Over high heat, continue stirring while simultaneously shaking the pan back and forth over the flame. The eggs will begin to form small curds. Continue stirring and shaking until the eggs are set but still somewhat soft on top.

Loosen the frittata from the skillet with a rubber spatula and slide it onto a large dinner plate. Cover the frittata with another dinner plate and invert the plates. Slide the frittata back into the skillet and continue cooking over high heat to brown the other side, about 2 minutes.

The cooked frittata should be golden brown on both sides. Carefully transfer the frittata to a large dinner plate, cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.