Simple Sicilian Frittata
(Frittata – Frocia)
The frocia or frittata made in the zone surrounding Palermo and the northern part of Sicily, it is preferably scented with parsley except for the province of Trapani where the favorite herb is mint. For each egg, the basic recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of grated cheese and ½ tablespoon of breadcrumb, salt, pepper and chopped parsley or any other aromatic herbs which are different from location to location. If any other ingredients are added, they must be fully cooked, and in fact, the frittata is also a practical way to recycle any good left-over food.
As a child I remember my mother’s frittate which were heavy and compact, made with a lot of breadcrumbs, her way to recycle stale bread, served for merenda; to make it attractive to the children, my mother would dust the frittata with sugar and cinnamon which would give to it a great flavor and a delectable taste.
- Serving Size4-5
- Eggs, Introduction and Recipes
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup of your favorite grated cheese (8 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup of bread crumbs (4 tablespoons)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely cut herb(s)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil divided
- Any optional ingredient(s)
Instructions
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs using a fork and put and fold in the cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Add the herb(s) or/and any additional ingredient(s); combine it well.
At a high heat, in a non stick frying skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl the oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, remove from the heat, and slowly pour the mixture into it.
Cook the frittata covered at a low heat from 12 to 15 minutes, shaking and tilting the skillet often to prevent it to stick to the bottom, and occasionally rotate a spatula around the edge of the skillet to prevent that the frittata sticks to the sides. When the bottom of the frittata is cooked, cover it with a dish the same size of the skillet; turn it upside down onto the plate and over a dish to collect eventual drippings. Set on the side.
At high heat, pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat it until starts to smoke. Remove the skillet from the heat, and slowly slide the frittata into the skillet, uncooked side down; reduce the heat to a medium and cook from 3 to 5 minutes, or until bottom egg mixture is set.
Transfer to a serving plate, cool it briefly, cut into wedges and dish it up as an appetizer or if served as main course, add a salad, fresh Italian bread and a young white wine to make a complete dinner.
Optional ingredients must be precooked; it can be leftover pasta, or cut bite size morsels of any kind of leftover: meats, sausages, sliced steaks, cold cuts and vegetables cut or shredded, fish without bones and minced, or let your fantasy work and create your own signature frittata with your preferred mixture of herbs, condiments and ingredients.