Corn, Scallion and Potato Frittata
This is not a life changing, revolutionizing recipe, after all, it's only eggs with a bunch of other ingredients thrown in, but it is surprisingly delicious, easy, light, vegetarian and makes a very satisfying dinner or brunch offering. Think of it as a last minute, save-the-day dish that you can throw together anytime, like when you get home later than expected and everyone is cranky or it's about 7:00p.m. and you just didn't get yourself to the store to pick up the ingredients for that fancy pasta dish you had the best of intentions to make...hmmn...maybe it is a life changer after all. :)
Another wonderful thing about the fritatta, is how versatile it is. Here I'm using corn, scallions, potatoes and shredded mozzarella, but you could just as easily sub out the corn for spinach and the scallions for onions or shallots and leave out the potatoes entirely or pick another kind of cheese. As long as you use good ingredients and saute your veggies a bit before adding in the eggs, you really can't go wrong.
Once all your veggies have softened, and you've transferred them to a bowl, you heat a bit more olive oil in the pan, mix everything together and return it to the pan to set up.
Then, when it's just about done, you pop the whole thing, pan and all, under the broiler to finish cooking so that the top gets all golden brown and crusty.
This was a big hit in my house! Each bite is a wonderful combination of textures and flavors-- the sweetness of the corn, the tanginess of the scallions, the mellowness of the mozzarella and the earthy comfort of the potatoes. I served it with some french bread and a small salad and everyone was quite happy having breakfast for dinner! Yup, pretty revolutionary after all!!
Corn, Scallion and Potato Frittata
Serves 4-5 as a main course
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes
Don't be afraid to sub the veggies here for ones you prefer or have in the house, or to use a bit more or less than the recipe calls for. You can also use all egg whites if you're watching your cholesterol, just increase to 6 egg whites instead.
Ingredients
1 bunch scallions, both white and green parts chopped, but divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
2 cups frozen corn (thawed)
salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
4 ounces shredded mozzarella (or any other shredded cheese you prefer)
The Recipe
1. Heat a large, oven-proof, non-stick skillet over moderate heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and cook the white parts of the scallions, stirring often, for about 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the diced potatoes, lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes more, until potatoes are softened. Add in the corn. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 1 minutes, stirring. Transfer veggies to a large bowl. Wipe out pan with a paper towel.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with the mozzarella and shake in a bit of salt and pepper. Add in potato mixture and scallion greens.
4. Place the remaining tablespoon of oil into the pan and heat over moderate flame until hot but not smoking. Pour in egg mixture and cook the frittata for about 6-8 minutes without stirring it, just shaking the skillet a couple of times to loosen it from the sides. When the bottom looks golden but the top is still wet and uncooked, place the whole pan into the oven for about 2-3 minutes so that the top gets set and golden brown (if your pan is not oven-safe, you can wrap the handle in a double layer of aluminum foil---either way be careful and use oven mitts). Remove from oven and slide out onto a plate. Sometimes, the frittata sticks a bit and you need to run a knife around the edges to loosen it a bit. If it won't come out of the pan at all, just cut wedges directly from the pan--this is not haute cuisine!!
5. Serve immediately or let come to room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days and are good cold or reheated.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe loosely based on an old edition of Gourmet Magazine.
