There comes a time in life when you should just know how to make a really great frittata and that time is now. Frittatas solve so many problems. They can be eaten for any meal. They can have three ingredients or eight. And this incredible cousin to the quiche is easier to make because we're bypassing the crust. Also, if you're obsessed with leeks like I am, you will revel in this tasty leek lover's frittata.
Let's Talk About Leeks for a Moment
Leeks are part of the allium family which includes onions, garlic, shallot, and chives. And even though they are part of the "onion" family, leeks are in a class of their own. They are sweeter and milder than the onion and add a richness to your recipes. When they cook - in a pan on the stove top or baking dish in the oven - they release this incredible creamy liquid that bubbles slightly as it cooks.
Whenever I cook leeks, the whole house smells like a food dream to me. And even though leeks can be a little expensive, they add such amazing flavor when cooking that I cannot resist it.
How to Cut and Wash Leeks:
It's important to note that leeks can be very dirty and most of the dirt is hiding inside. Keep these steps in mind:
- Cut the fraggle tips from the end.
- Cut the dark green part off and discard.
- Slice leeks into rings.
- Transfer leeks to a large bowl of water and soak them. Dunk with your hands and separate some of the rings. You will likely see all the dirt on the bottom of the bowl.
- Put leeks through a strainer and rinse the leeks again under kitchen faucet.
Leek Lover's Frittata: A Few Ingredients With BIG Flavor
Frittatas are the cousin of quiche.... and the distant cousin of omelet. With omelets, I don't like my egg browned at all. I like a clean, yellow flip omelet. But with frittatas, which I usually bake in a cast iron skillet, I LOVE when it browns... especially the bottom. I can't explain this contradiction, it's just the way I am.
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Frittatas, like quiche and omelets, can be made with a never ending list of ingredients. When I made pork carnitas a while back, I used the left over meat to make an awesome pork carnitas skillet frittata w/ potatoes and black beans. During the summer two years ago, I used my CSA ingredients to make another skillet frittata with spinach, leeks & feta. See - leeks again!! I love 'em! With this recipe, I went with less and focused on my obsession with leeks. I wanted this frittata to be all about the leeks.
Small List of Ingredients for Leek Lover's Frittata
- Large eggs
- Sliced leeks
- Gruyere cheese
- Butter
- Milk
- Fennel (optional)
- A few other pantry staples: salt, pepper, olive oil
Sometimes more is more and sometimes less is more. The best part about making a frittata is that you can go either way! This frittata goes with less and the elegant leeks shine through completely. 🙂
Easy Steps to Making Leek Lover's Frittata
Leek Lover's Frittata
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
Belly up to the brunch table for this leek lover’s frittata with fennel and gruyere. It’s incredibly delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 3 cups sliced leeks (about 1 large and 1 smaller leek)
- ½ cup diced fennel (1 small bulb) - this is optional
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 10 large eggs
- ⅓ cup milk
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Instructions
- Cut the fraggle ends from the leeks and then cut the dark green part off and discard. We’re using the white and light green part of the leeks for this. Cut the leeks into ¼” rings and place them in a large bowl filled with water. Leeks can be very dirty. Push the leeks down in the water to clean. I usually separate some of the rings while I do this. Then drain water through strainer and run leeks under water for one final rinse. Set aside.
- Cut the stalks and fronds (leafy part) off the fennel. Then slice the knob off the other end. Cut the fennel bulb like you would an onion. Cut into thin slices, then rotate pile and dice down into smaller bits from there. The fennel I bought was really small – all they had at the store so I bought two, but only ended up needing one of them. Keep that in mind.
- On medium-to-high heat put butter and olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan you have on hand. Once butter is melted add the leeks, then salt and pepper and toss to coat. Turn heat to medium and cook leeks 8-10 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Turn heater lower if needed. Stir them a few times throughout the cooking process.
- While the leeks are cooking, shred the gruyere cheese. With gruyere it comes in a block of cheese and you’ll need a box grater to shred it.
- Crack 10 large eggs into a bowl and beat until well combined. You could also throw them in the blender – it’s up to you. Add the milk then beat again to incorporate the milk.
- Once the leeks are cooked, turn off heat and spread the leeks and fennel evenly across the bottom of the pan. Then distribute the cheese on top of the leeks. Lastly, pour the egg on top of the cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out dry.
- If you have fresh parsley on hand you could chop and garnish with that – totally optional.
- A lot of options for side dishes. I steamed some asparagus and you can also serve with my skillet baked potatoes with chorizo sausage.
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