When I was in college, I used to make frittatas all the time. They are an easy-to-make, Italian cross between an omelet and a quiche, and they can have basically anything in them. This one’s a mushroom spinach frittata, filled with morels and lambsquarters.
Any fresh mushroom you like will do, and if you are supermarket shopping, I’d suggest shiitake. And don’t get hung up on the lambsquarters. It is wild spinach, and it’s a weed that is likely in your yard right now. I love it. But regular spinach, chard, amaranth greens, or other greens are fine.
Making a frittata is super easy. You sauté anything that needs to be cooked hot and fast first, like mushrooms, onions and garlic, leave it in the pan, add whatever other ingredients you want, then pour in beaten eggs mixed with milk or cream.
Stir quickly, then cook it slowly on the stovetop until the eggs are almost totally set. You finish it under the broiler to get some nice browning. Cut into wedges and serve.
It looks fancy, tastes great, and my 19-year-old self had no trouble making it, even hungover after track and field parties the night before.
I chose a mushroom spinach frittata to highlight this method because a) it’s a great combination, and b) I happened to have lots of morel mushrooms and lambsquarters hanging around. (Holly and I have had a great morel season in the Sierra Nevada.)
Frittata Tips
While making a mushroom spinach frittata, or any other variety, for that matter, is easy, there are a few tips and pointers to make one better.
- Use full fat dairy. When you use low fat dairy, the texture can get chalky.
- For every 6 eggs you use, use about 1/4 cup of that dairy. That ratio can be scaled up.
- Cast iron is king. It’s oven safe, holds heat well, and is non-stick if you’ve seasoned it right.
- If you want cheese, use a melty cheese like gruyere, Swiss, cheddar, jack or mozzarella. I like grated hard cheese like pecorino, too, but only a little.
- Slow and low on the stove. You want to gently set the frittata, and that takes time. Don’t rush things.
- Wait to cut into your frittata. Everything needs to set for 5 to 10 minutes before you cut wedges.
Mushroom Spinach Frittata Jazz
OK, so I used nearly a pound of fresh morels and two big handfuls of lambsquarters for this frittata. It made for a flavorful, well-stuffed dish for my 10-inch cast iron pan. That’s a key. If your pan is larger, add a couple eggs. Smaller? go with fewer.
This is not rocket science. You can tinker and play with things.
Use porcini instead of morels. Or cremini, or maitake, or meadow mushrooms or chanterelles. Use other greens, or skip them and add a couple caramelized onions.
I really like the browned top, but it can overcook the eggs a bit. I don’t mind that, but if you do, skip the browning step under the broiler. If you want, you can bake your frittata in the oven the whole time at 350F. This usually takes between 20 and 25 minutes.
Once made, your mushroom spinach frittata will keep a week in the fridge, and is good eaten cold or at room temperature — excellent for a quick lunch.
Mushroom Spinach Frittata
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound spinach, or similar greens
- 3/4 pound fresh morels, or other mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and black pepper
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup cream or milk
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
Instructions
- Boil the spinach in salty water for about 90 seconds. Submerge in ice water to stop the cooking, then squeeze the greens dry. Chop roughly. This blanching can be done a day ahead if need be. You do it to preserve the vivid green in the leaves.
- In a cast iron pan (mine is 10" wide), heat the mushrooms over medium-high heat, shaking the pan a little. At some point they will give up their water. When this happens, add the garlic and a little salt. Let this cook until most of the water has evaporated, then add the butter and sauté until you get some browning on the mushrooms.
- Beat the eggs with the cream, then whisk in the cheeses and the chopped spinach.
- Drop the heat to medium-low and stir in the egg mixture. Try to make sure everything is well distributed. Let the frittata cook undisturbed, slowly, until the eggs are mostly set, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- If you want, finish the frittata under the broiler, just to get some browning. Remove and let it cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Keys to Success
- Use full fat dairy. When you use low fat dairy, the texture can get chalky.
- For every 6 eggs you use, use about 1/4 cup of that dairy. That ratio can be scaled up.
- Cast iron is king. It’s oven safe, holds heat well, and is non-stick if you’ve seasoned it right.
- If you want different cheese, use a melty cheese like gouda, Swiss, cheddar, jack or mozzarella.
- Slow and low on the stove. You want to gently set the frittata, and that takes time. Don’t rush things.
How do I prepare dried morels for this dish? It sounds wonderful. I just don’t have access to fresh morels this season.
Tammie: I’d use other mushrooms, personally. But if you want to do this with dried, you’d rehydrate first, then chop, then add them at the beginning with the butter.