Black Friday Frittata

Since I had made a commitment to host brunch post-Thanksgiving shopping was not an option Friday.  Particularly since I needed to drive back to NY from CT Friday morning in time to prepare for guests arriving at 10 a.m.

This group of girls is pretty fond of my Eggs Benedict, but we were expecting an additional guest - a  beau was being introduced to the gang...someone perhaps not worthy of my breakfast specialty.  I decided trying something new should be the theme for the day - hello, Frittata.  Now, I've had a frittata before, but I've never made one, so it was off to the cookbook shelf and then to epicurious.com.  From what I was able to gather from all of those sources, a frittata just seemed like a baked omelet, to me.  So, here's what I did:

Using an awesome pan with sloped sides, I melted a teaspoon of bacon fat in a 375 degree oven.  When the fat was melted, I tossed in a bunch of asparagus seasoned with salt and pepper.  While they roasted, I beat 9 eggs (we were 6, If 6 Were 9*) with about 2/3 of a cup of whole milk.  When the asparagus were tender, I removed them from the oven and wiped the pan out with a paper towel.  I melted a teaspoon or 2 of butter in the pan (in the oven) and then poured in my eggs.  I probably baked the frittata for about 8 minutes or so - until the eggs were set and pulling away from the sides of the pan, but not dry.  I topped the eggs with my asparagus and some roasted red pepper Rondele Cheese and then put it back in the oven (with the heat now turned off) for about a minute or 2.  That was it.  I served the eggs with some fantastic rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes and a gorgeous Caesar salad, along with some bagels from the Midtown Tap & Tea Room.  Shopping schmopping -  we got the best deal of the day at my dining room table.

*random Jimi Hendrix reference.