Saturday, July 30, 2011

Eggs and Stuff

Recently, I've been re-exploring the possibilities of tortillas (or frittate, if you are Italian).  One immediate conclusion I have made is that I need another name for them.  Tortilla is confusing to most Americans, who immediately assume I'm talking about a delicious corn or wheat based flat-bread.  Even for those who recognize that a tortilla from Spain is a different thing entirely from a tortilla from Mexico, the name tortilla has certain limitations.  It suggests, first and foremost, that incredibly yummy basic tortilla espanola, made with potatoes, onions, and enough olive oil to make a diet-obsessed lipophobe slip into a catatonic stupor (a side benefit that no-one mentions, but should not be undervalued).  If one can manage to escape that tasty image, the variations are still constrained by images of Spain: tortilla with chorizo, with tomatoes, with calabacitas, with eggplant, with shrimp or squid or other seafood.
So, what about the other name: frittata.  Now, the limitations are Italian and there is less olive oil involved, and that means your diet-obsessed lipophobe is now awake to natter on and on about how bad eggs are and how bad fat is and how bad food is in general and wouldn't it be better to just gnaw on some non-digestible cellulose sprinkled with left-handed sugar that provides no food value at all.  Whoops, sorry, that's a rant for another time.  Back to our frittata.  Here, instead of potatoes, the primary starch is usually leftover pasta (the kind made with good durum wheat and water that Italians might still call maccheroni).  And the accompaniments are, surprise-surprise!, Italian: a little bit of left over ragu bolognese, a few delicious slivers of mortadella, a little garlic (why not?), maybe some broccolini, a bit of fennel sliced paper thin, etc.  However, there is still that implied limitation: if it's a frittata, it's supposed to be Italian.  Stick to Italian flavors.
So, what's a poor cook to do?  Call it an egg pie?  No, that implies a crust and, besides, is already taken by nice people in England and the rural areas of the the US.  An egg tart (or worse, tarte)?  Still have that pesky crust hanging about and it's starting to sound a bit highbrow.  We could call it "eggs and stuff in a skillet," but that's rather vague.  Still, perhaps we can embrace the vagueness, concentrate on the method, and call the dish "skillet eggs."
So, the name game being resolved, here is my basic method for skillet eggs:
Start by considering your "skillet."  If you are like a lot of people, your skillet will probably be a non-stick frying pan.  Or, if you are like me, it will be a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.  Whatever you do, do not try to make skillet eggs in any kind of pan that has a plain stainless steel interior. You will be trying to get the eggs off the surface for days.  If you want to do things the easy way, make sure that your pan can be used in the oven, under a broiler (one reason to go for the cast-iron option).  If it can't, you'd best prepare yourself for the complex, but fun, method of flipping your skillet eggs.
Now, pick your ingredients.  Begin with a nice starchy ingredient to give it body and structure.  For this, you could use potatoes, pasta, noodles, fresh veggies (especially the spongy kind like summer squash or eggplant).  Now, think of something to give it flavor.  Any food with a strong flavor would work for this, but especially consider things like sausage, mushrooms, onions or garlic, herbs, etc.  Don't go overboard, though.  Pick one or two flavoring components (and consider that, if you are using veggies for the substance of your skillet eggs, they will already be contributing their own flavor).  As you are picking your ingredients, keep looking back at your skillet.  Think about this: will they all fit?  Maybe you had better put in a few less potatoes or a smidge less diced ham.  Finally, of course, get out your eggs.  I usually use four eggs for my 10-inch skillet.  If the eggs are fresh, you don't have to do anything for them.  If they've been sitting in the fridge losing water for a couple weeks (and yes, eggs will keep for weeks and weeks if they are cold), you may want to consider adding a tablespoon of liquid to them.  It could be water, but why not make it something tasty that mixes well with your other ingredients?  Perhaps a bit of clam juice if you are going the seafood route, or maybe a bit of milk?  Mmmmm, what about a splash of lemon juice to complement some Greek vegetables for an avgolemono riff on skillet eggs?
In any event, you've got your ingredients assembled.  Now, proceed.  Heat a bit of oil or fat in your skillet and saute any aromatics that need to be cooked and softened.  This would include things like onions, garlic, carrots, celery, etc.  Once they are cooked, remove them from the pan (here's a trick: use a perforated spatula or spoon to lift the ingredients out of the pan and use another spoon to press down on them slightly so that you leave most of the oil in the pan, not with the food), and add anything bulky that needs to be cooked (for example, the fresh veggies or potatoes).  Once they are cooked, remove them to the same bowl with the aromatics (use the same lift and press technique as mentioned above) and stir everything together.  If your bulk ingredient doesn't need to be cooked (for example, pre-cooked pasta), just combine it with the aromatics as soon as you remove them from the skillet.  Add any spices or herbs that you want, and any other flavoring components, but don't salt them.
At this point, you should have a bowl full of delicious goodness, a skillet over medium (not high) heat with at least a couple of tablespoons of hot oil in it (add some more if you think the pan looks skimpy), and four eggs, sitting in all their splendor.  Into a separate bowl, crack each egg.  Add your liquid (see above).  Toss in a pinch of salt. Use a fork to whisk the eggs lightly until they are well-mixed but not terribly airy (in my experience, the salt helps with this, but that may just be my imagination).  Now, pour the eggs over the other ingredients and stir/toss them lightly to make sure the eggs coat everything.  Pour the whole glorious mess back into the skillet (did you remember that it is supposed to be on medium heat, not high?), distributing it evenly and pressing it flat.  Cook it on the stove top for a few minutes until you can see the edges are set and the whole mass holds together fairly well when you jiggle the pan.  There will still be some liquid egg on the top. 
Now, the easy way to proceed from here is to stick the pan in the oven on the middle rack with the broiler on and let it finish cooking the top that way (this might be a good point to sprinkle a little cheese on it, too).  Or, you can go old school and flip the skillet eggs in the skillet.  If  you really want to flip the eggs, PRACTICE beforehand using a wet sponge in a cold skillet.  Do not try this for the first time with a skillet full of hot, partially set eggs.  Trust me when I say, from personal experience, that this is a recipe for disaster.  And by the way, if you decide to use a different skillet from one time to the next, practice again with the new skillet.  Just because you've mastered flipping in one skillet does not mean that the trick will work with a different one.  If you have to flip the skillet eggs and you don't want to actually throw them in the air and hope they hit the pan, you can always use this little "cheat":  put a oven-safe plate over the pan (pick a plate that will cover the pan completely, i.e., is bigger than the pan) and hold it firmly in place with a pot-holder against the bottom of the plate.  Flip the whole ensemble (plate, pan, ingredients) over and return the pan to the stovetop.  Use a spatula and a little jiggling to encourage the skillet eggs to slide off the plate and back into the pan and let them finish cooking that way.
Finally, when your eggs are done (you can check by sticking the tip of a knife into the eggs and looking to see if they are fully set), bring them to the table.  Eat them with a glass of wine, if that's how you roll, or any other beverage that seems good to you.  Possibly accompany them with a salad or some pickles or some bread.  Whatever you like.  The important part is that skillet eggs will be the delicious centerpiece of the meal.