Out of the Cauldron:: Fritatta

by Emily Gabbert

Base:

Eggs 8 each

Milk 1 cup

Salt 1 - 1 ½ tsp

Pepper 1 tsp

Garlic 1 tsp

Cayenne 1 tsp

Filling:

Leeks  2-3 stalks

Rosemary 3-4 sprigs

Goat cheese 4 oz package

Thick cut Bacon (optional) 4 slices
For a 9 in skillet

Note: It is suggested that you use a cast iron skillet, or at least one that has a heavy bottom, and does not have a non-stick coating. If you do not have one of these, a pie pan or appropriately sized baking dish works as well; just add cooked fillings before egg mix.

1. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne in a bowl or container and set aside. You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge if you’d like.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
3. If you are using bacon, cut it into medium sized chunks (or sized to your liking) and set aside. 
4. Slice the leeks fairly thin, and set those aside as well.
5. If using fresh (highly recommend this), pull the rosemary off the stems and roughly chop it a few times. Set aside.
6. Put the bacon in your 9 in skillet on med heat with about a teaspoon of oil to slowly cook and render the fat. If not using bacon, skip this step, and use a bit more oil or butter for the next step.
7. When you have a good amount of bacon fat rendered in the pan, but the bacon is still soft, add the sliced leeks and rosemary and turn the heat up to med-high and saute until leeks are soft and bacon is crispy at the edges (or, to your liking).
8. Turn off burner and remove skillet from heat. Pour in the egg mix, and stir slightly to spread the fillings around (not too much or you’ll have scrambled eggs). If using a baking dish or pie pan, scrape contents of skillet into said dish before adding egg mix.
9. Dollop the goat cheese in various spots around the pan, sized to your liking. If you like, you can sprinkle the top with a little paprika for color and extra flavor.
10. Bake at 350 F for about 20-30 minutes, or until set in the middle. 
11. Slice and enjoy!!

Note:: The base will work for any kind of fritatta. You can change the filling to any kind you desire, just remember most things will need to be cooked first. These fillings were chosen to work with the season and holidays covered in this issue. If you want melted cheese on top, let the fritatta be about 3/4 of the way cooked before sprinkling cheese so it will stay atop the eggs.