I Finally Stopped Stirring This One
I used to hover over this and stir it constantly, which is exactly why my early attempts had browned bottoms and raw middles. Ten eggs, one skillet, and eighteen minutes. The oven finishes what the stove starts, so you stop touching it.
A frittata is not an omelet. An omelet is cooked fast over high heat and folded; a frittata is cooked slowly and finished with gentle, even heat. That difference is why the oven does the last two thirds of the work and why the result slices cleanly into wedges.
Cook the Spinach Down Completely
Ten ounces of fresh spinach looks like an enormous pile and cooks down to roughly a cup. If you add it wet, that water ends up in the eggs and the frittata never sets. Wilt it in the skillet, then press it in a sieve or against the side of the pan with a spoon until it stops releasing liquid.
Frozen spinach works too, and it needs even more attention. Thaw it fully, then squeeze it in a clean towel until it is as dry as you can get it. Skipping this is the most common reason a frittata comes out watery.
Six Minutes on the Stove, Twelve in the Oven
Pour the eggs into the hot skillet over medium heat and let the edges set for about 5 minutes without stirring. Then transfer the whole pan to a 375 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The top cooks gently while the bottom stays pale instead of scorching.
Pull It Slightly Under
Take the frittata out when the center still has a barely perceptible wobble. It will continue to set for several minutes in the hot pan. Waiting until it is rock solid in the oven guarantees a dry, slightly rubbery result by the time you cut it.
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs
- 10 oz fresh spinach, or 1 package frozen, thawed and squeezed
- 4 oz feta, crumbled
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup milk or half and half
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp chopped dill or parsley
Steps
Heat the oven and soften the onion
Set the oven to 375 degrees F. Warm the olive oil in a 10 inch oven safe skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Wilt and squeeze the spinach
Add the spinach in handfuls and cook until fully wilted, about 2 minutes. Press it against the side of the pan to squeeze out liquid, or transfer it to a sieve and press. This step decides whether the frittata sets.
Beat the eggs lightly
Whisk the eggs with the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg just until uniform. Do not whip air into them; too much foam gives you a spongy texture.
Set the edges on the stove
Spread the spinach and onion evenly in the pan, scatter the feta, and pour the eggs over. Cook undisturbed over medium heat for 5 minutes until the edges look set.
Finish in the oven 12 minutes
Move the skillet to the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes until the top is set but the center still barely wobbles. It should read about 165 degrees F in the middle.
Rest, then cut into wedges
Let it rest 5 minutes in the pan, then slide it onto a board and cut into 6 wedges. Scatter the herbs over just before serving.
Using Whatever Is in the Fridge
- Almost any vegetable works if you cook the water out first: mushrooms, zucchini, roasted peppers, or leftover roasted potato.
- A 10 inch skillet is the right size for 10 eggs. In a 12 inch pan the frittata will be thin and overcook in half the time.
- Leftovers keep three days and are good cold, which makes this a reasonable packed lunch.
When I made this
For about six months I stirred this frittata every thirty seconds like I was making scrambled eggs, and it never once set in the middle. The stirring was the problem. Eggs that keep moving stay in suspension, so they cook in layers instead of forming a single set. The second thing I had wrong was heat. My pan was on medium high the entire time, which browned the bottom long before the middle firmed up. Now it goes on the stove for four minutes, then into a 190 degree oven untouched for the rest.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 245 kcal |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Sodium | 560 mg |
