Recipe: Our Favorite Frittata

We eat the hell out of these things. Serves 4-6.

1 dz - eggs
¾ lb - Yukon Gold potatoes
2 lb - yellow onions
½ oz - dried Morel mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water
¾ lb - asparagus or green beans, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
½ lb - grated Raclette cheese (found in your better cheese shops)
½ lb - Old Fashioned cream cheese
¼ cup - chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Whip the eggs with a little water.

Peel, cut in half and slice the onions very thinly. Saute in olive oil over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, until the onions are caremelized, soft and the flavor is concentrated. While they're cooking, occasionally deglaze the pan with a little white wine or dry sherry. Adding a sprinkle of Herbs de Provence adds a nice touch also.

Slice the potatoes 1/8" thick and saute in olive oil until nicely browned and tender. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Blanch the green beans/asparagus in salted water for 2-3 minutes. Refresh in ice water.

Rinse the rehydrated morels well. Chop medium fine and saute in a little red wine for a couple of minutes.

Okay, now that we have the parts prepared, lets assemble the sucker:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Liberally coat a 12" oven proof saute pan with olive oil and place over medium high heat. Layer the potatoes, onions and green beans/asparagus in the pan. Sprinkle with the morels and parsley. Dollop with the cream cheese. Pour the eggs over the top. When there is a layer of cooked eggs around the edge, place the pan in the oven for ~ eight minutes. When the eggs are almost cooked but still a little runny in the middle, sprinkle with the Raclette cheese and stick the pan under to broiler. When the cheese is bubble and brown, remove from the oven.

Let the dish sit for a couple of minutes. Slice the frittata into serving size pieces and plate. Drizzle with your best extra virgin olive oil and a little balsamic syrup* (or a really old balsamic vinegar, if you have some).

This is a multi functional dish when it comes to wine. Syrah is our favorite but it also goes well with Pinot. On the white side, Sauvignon Blanc works well. If you like, replace the cream cheese with goat cheese and go with a more austere white.

* Balsamic syrup - Simmer a quart of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of brown sugar until you have a little less than a cup left and it has taken on a syrup consistency. Make sure you don't burn it. This will keep in the fridge for several weeks.