sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - july/august 2011 - good eats
Frittata With Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese, and Sage
By Annie Sommerville
Makes a 9-inch frittata (serves eight)
The flavors of this frittata are wonderfully appealing—the richness of the caramelized onions is just right with the tangy goat cheese and the pungent, earthy sage. A glaze of reduced balsamic vinegar is the final touch—brushed over the warm frittata, its sweet acidity highlights the unusual flavors. You can caramelize the onions a day in advance, but don't be in a hurry. They'll need plenty of time to release their sugars and cook down to that wonderful jamlike consistency.
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 3 large onions (about 2 pounds), quartered and thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 eggs
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 3 ounces mild, creamy goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Saut;é the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes to release their juices. Add the garlic and continue to cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes, gently scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to prevent the onions from sticking as they caramelize. (Add a little water if needed to loosen the sugars from the pan.) Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in the cooled onions along with the Parmesan and sage.
In a 9-inch saute pan with an ovenproof handle, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil to just below the smoking point. Swirl the oil around the sides of the pan to coat it. Turn the heat down to low, then immediately pour the frittata mixture into the pan. The eggs will sizzle from the heat. Crumble in the goat cheese and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until the sides begin to set. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the frittata is golden and firm.
Loosen the frittata gently with a rubber spatula; the bottom will tend to stick to the pan. Place a plate over the pan, then flip the pan over and turn the frittata out. Brush the frittata's bottom and sides with the reduced balsamic vinegar and cut it into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
TIP: We always begin cooking our frittatas on the stove, but they can also be cooked entirely in the oven. Combine the vegetables and eggs as directed, but don't add the cheese. Pour the egg-vegetable mixture into an oiled baking dish, then sprinkle or crumble on the cheese. (Adding the cheese at this point keeps it from settling and sticking to the bottom of the baking dish.) Bake for about 25 minutes.
REDUCED BALSAMIC VINEGAR
(From Annie Somerville's Everyday Greens)
This simple, inexpensive sauce couldn't be easier to make. Save your fine, aged balsamic for another use; this is the place for the everyday supermarket variety. The reduced vinegar will hold indefinitely, so make as little or as much as you like.
In a small saucepan over high heat, reduce balsamic vinegar to half its original volume. For a more intense flavor, you can reduce it further; just watch it closely to be sure the vinegar doesn't boil away. Cool and store in a sealed container or refrigerate.