Hakuna Frittata

By Catherine Newman

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You don't remember this song from "The Lion King?" Really? It means "no worries about serving eggs for dinner yet again." They're inexpensive and easy and nutritious. And a frittata with a salad and some bread makes a perfect meal.

I love adding cooked potatoes to this (I think it's a lot like a Spanish torta this way), but you can add nearly any cooked ingredients: broccoli or greens (make sure they're very well drained), cooked bacon or diced ham, sautéed mushrooms or onions. You can't go wrong.

Yield: Serves 8
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups cubed potatoes (I peeled 3 Yukon golds and diced them into ½-inch pieces)
10 eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1 tablespoon finely chopped herbs (I used a mix of parsley, chives, lemon thyme, and celery leaves. Basil is delicious. Or tarragon. And mint with potatoes and fresh goat cheese is heavenly.)
1 heaping cup grated cheese (I used Monterey jack, but you can use any cheese you like. I had also intended to sprinkle on some freshly grated parmesan before popping the frittata under the broiler, but I completely forgot.)
2 tablespoons butter

Balsamic-Butter Sauce (optional, see Note below):
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons cold butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Steam the potato cubes until cooked: I do this in one of those old steamers (the kind that always seems to have one missing segment), covered, over rapidly boiling water for about 8 minutes. Bite into one to make sure it's completely tender-hearted.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs well with the salt, then stir in the herbs and cheese.
Begin heating the butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat until it gets nice and foamy. (The ideal skillet is neither non-stick nor cast iron, but one that is oven-proof and not inclined to stick despite its lack of non-stickiness, if you follow me here. I use a wide, well-seasoned stainless steel pan. Your other choice is to do this in a non-stick pan. Instead of running it under the broiler, you will need to slide the frittata onto a plate and then flip it back into the pan to cook the top side. This does not tend to go very well for me, but you may have better luck.)
Stir the cooked potatoes into the egg mixture, then tip the whole thing into the pan. Cover the pan and cook the frittata gently for around 10-12 minutes, or until it looks quite set around the edges but is still raw-eggish in the center.
Pop the pan under a pre-heated broiler for around 2 minutes, until the center is set and the whole thing is lovely and puffed and browning.
Serve hot or room temperature with the balsamic-butter sauce or salsa or some other condiment of your choosing.
If making the Balsamic-Butter sauce: In a tiny little pot or pan, reduce the vinegar over medium heat until it is just about half boiled away (about 4 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it is all incorporated and the sauce is smooth and blended. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve small spoonfuls over or next to the frittata.

Note: The Balsamic-Butter is a quick little sauce to puddle next to a slice of frittata. It's tangy and silky-rich, and it also makes a delicious accompaniment to grilled meat.