What exactly is a frittata?
Traditionally, a frittata is started on the stove top and then put under the grill for the final moments of cooking. It differs from an omelette in that an omelette is lighter and is made entirely on the stove top, with a fresh filling placed in the middle and the just cooked egg folded over it. This oven-baked frittata is more like a quiche, but without the fiddliness of the pastry.
Should I line my baking dish?
Baking paper is such a fine invention. It’s made light work of lining cake and slice pans
as well as operating as a “lid” (or cartouche in cooking terms) for the top of a stew. This baked frittata is one of the times I don’t line my dish with baking paper. Due to the amount of liquid in this recipe, I find the frittata tends to steam a bit when baked and the base and sides don’t go golden. An enamel or stainless steel dish works best as they conduct heat really efficiently. If not, a ceramic or glass dish is fine. Either way, make sure you grease the base and sides thoroughly.
Why is my frittata watery?
It’s really important that you cook the vegetables before pouring over the egg mixture, especially if the vegetables have a large water content. In the case of this baked frittata recipe, the spinach, in particular, needs to be well cooked. If thrown in uncooked it would leech extra liquid into the eggs making them curdle and split. Same goes for zucchini and mushrooms. Although tomatoes are normally watery, the fact that this recipe uses grape tomatoes which have thick skins means they can be just tossed in.
How do I know my frittata is cooked?
Cook the frittata in the oven just until the centre is no longer wobbly and the edges are golden-brown. If still unsure, place a knife into the centre of the frittata. If raw eggs run out, keep cooking. You want the eggs to be just set as the frittata will keep cooking while it’s standing. If the frittata is cooked but the top is not to the desired golden colour, pop it under the grill for a couple of minutes. You may have to take the rack out of the grill to allow it to fit.
