Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Shrimp & Asparagus Frittata

Shrimp & Asparagus Frittata
Adapted from Jamie's Italy

Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 5-10 minutes
Servings: 2.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped ( unfortunately, I didn’t have any so I used 1 heaping tsp dried)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ¼ lemon
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes
1-2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4-6 asparagus spears, cut in 2” pieces
8-10 large shrimp, shelled (defrosted if frozen)
Extra virgin olive oil (just enough to thinly cover the bottom of the pan)
Handful of shredded cheese (I like an Italian blend of mozzarella, provolone)
Final sprinkling of grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F/ 220°C

2. In a medium-sized bowl beat eggs with olive oil, salt & pepper, lemon zest & juice, parmesan cheese, parsley, chili pepper flakes and set aside.

3. Over medium high heat, sauté shrimp (Jamie Oliver cuts half of them up, but I left them whole) and asparagus pieces in a small-medium sized non-stick, oven-proof skillet until the shrimp are mostly pink, but still a bit translucent (about 3-4 minutes). I like to use a skillet that allows for the egg mixture to come a little more than half-way up the sides. The frittata will puff up in the oven, so you don’t want to fill it to the top – it will spill over and mess up your lovely oven. If you use a large skillet, the dish will turn out more like a pancake and need less time and not look quite as pretty.

4. Pour the egg mixture over the shrimp & asparagus in the pan. Continue to cook on top of the stove until the eggs begin to set around the edges (3 minutes or so, longer if you’re adding more eggs and making it for more people).

5. Cover the top of the frittata with the grated cheese and bake in the hot oven for about 5 minutes. Add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and cook an additional couple of minutes. The top should brown a bit and the frittata puff up.

6. Using a spatula, ease the frittata around the edges and under the bottom to make sure it won’t stick when you slide it onto a serving plate.

I served it with some toasted focaccia spread with pesto and some goat cheese and broiled for a couple of minutes to soften the cheese.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, I am sitting on the fence with this one. It wasn't 'wow' but it wasn't bad. As a matter of fact, its a nice change, especially on a hot day with the tangy lemon. I will say its a 4 out of 5 but I would be careful with what I pair it with. I had it for breakfast with home fries, sausage and bacon. The combination just didn't work. Maybe just a seafood salad would be nice!

Ruth Daniels said...

Normally I like a more substantial frittata, but summertime...hot weather...I don't have the same appetite. I found this, as you say a nice change, but your sides would definitely overpower the frittata. Simple salad is best.

Thanks for dropping by.