By Ali Slagle
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- 4(338)
- Notes
- Read community notes
You may think of frittatas as leftovers’ idea of heaven, but is it yours? For a frittata to look forward to, throw in leftover grains: The result is something like a Spanish tortilla, pleasingly dense, but with more bounce. Add an acid, like lime, and umami, like fish sauce, which melts into an underlying savoriness when warmed. Whatever you do, don’t turn on the oven for this. Instead, stir the frittata on the stove and all but the top will set — nothing a few minutes covered can't fix (no precarious flip!). Finally, put a salad on top. The herby one here adds pep to the substantial frittata, as does a final squeeze of lime.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 8eggs
- 1½teaspoons fish sauce
- 1cup cooked farro (or wheat berries, barley, spelt or rice)
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1shallot, coarsely chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 1Thai bird chile or ½ small jalapeño, thinly sliced (about ½ teaspoon)
- ½cup loosely packed dill, cilantro and-or mint leaves
- 2tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
- 1lime, cut into wedges
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
254 calories; 14 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 14 grams protein; 307 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and ¼ cup water until bubbles form, then whisk in the fish sauce until combined. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the farro.
Step
2
In an 8- or 9-inch nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and chile, and sauté until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step
3
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then pour in the egg-grain mixture. Using the rubber spatula, stir the eggs to mix in the shallot and chile. Let sit undisturbed until the edges of the eggs start to bubble and cook, just a minute. Then run your spatula across the bottom of the pan to pull the eggs from the edges to the center. Create holes in the center of the frittata as well, tilting the pan as needed so wet egg runs into the empty space created by your spatula. Continue pulling and agitating the eggs until the surface is wet but mostly set when you tilt the pan, about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your pan.
Step
4
Smooth the top of the frittata, then cover with a lid or foil and let cook until the eggs are just set, about 5 minutes.
Step
5
Meanwhile, combine the herbs and scallions in a small bowl, then squeeze in enough lime to lightly moisten (about 1 tablespoon or ¼ lime). Toss with your fingers to combine.
Step
6
Once the frittata is cooked, loosen the sides with your rubber spatula and slide onto a serving platter. Top with herbs and scallions and serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.
Tip
- Grains can be made 3 days in advance. No need to reheat.
Ratings
4
out of 5
338
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Cooking Notes
John Neill
Basically I like this idea of adding grains - but one should be careful of over-working the egg mixture to achieve evenness -tough eegs often the result .. no good!I’d consider under the broiler for a few minutes to finish to desired ‘doneness’; try thinly-sliced /crumbled feta over top beforehand!As ever - be inventive!
christine
didn't have fish sauce or the chili. never made a frittata before. had rice in the fridge, had limes, had a shallot, had mushrooms, had some beautiful parsley and scallion...this is a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner. easy to make, and a lovely presentation. lime, parsley, scallion brightened up and added sweetness and crunch dusted it with course salt at the end because of the missing fish sauce.
Annie
I ate this for days after I made it—every time with delicious sambal on top. So good!
naomi
We really liked this! I had tons of farro already cooked in a veggie broth, so I used 2 cups instead of just one. I also used 1.5 anchovies smashed up and fried with the shallots since we didn’t have fish sauce, and I added about a tbsp soy sauce to the eggs. Overall, the fresh green top went well with the eggy frittata, and the farro added a great texture. Really simple, clean flavors.I made some roasted butternut squash in the oven as a side, and served the meal with some cubes of cheddar.
Jeanne
I followed the recipe exactly, except for cooking the frittata: i didn't poke and push it, just cooked it low and covered on the stove top for eight minutes, and then in the over for another ten--much less trouble and it came out beautifully. The frittata itself was satisfying, definitely enhanced by the fish sauce, but the lime-dressed herbs made it into a fine meal (I used mint and cilantro). We had it with a tomato-basil salad--a really good, simple meal on a summer day.
Helen
Made this using the technique as written but amended some ingredients to what I had on hand. Had a lot of leftover farro risotto with tomatoes and corn, so used that, left out fish sauce, added goat cheese, and topped with parsley leaves tossed with pickled red onions. Very versatile technique! Will absolutely try the version as written as well.
Sav
I subbed scallions for shallots sliced thin on a mandolin, just because I didn't have them on hand. Great way to use leftover rice, specifically a small amount. On my electric stove, eggs took about 7 minutes before 90% set, and popped them under a low broiler for 3 minutes more. This has converted me to a frittata lover.
Melissa P
Tried this in spite of my doubts and boy it was great! I used savory-cooked steel-cut oats that I had cooked with chicken broth. This dish has a Vietnamese flavor profile, thanks to the fish sauce, cilantro, and lime.
Jennifer
Delicious, easy, tasty: the recipe trifecta. I had doubts about the sliding out of the skillet part, but it did it! My herb salad was cilantro/mint/scallions lime, and it brightened it right up. Serve with a green salad from the garden and a fruit/yogurt/granola parfait, and it's a winner of a company brunch.
Linda M
The “hunter gatherer” had a huge meat-filled wrap for lunch so this made a perfect light dinner for both of us. Usually, I’d have to put more than this on the table but it hit the sweet spot for both of us as written. My only add was some leftover hummus I made and it used a dollop of it on top of the herbs, so as it was eaten, here and there was a creamy bite. Very good! Will have again, thanks.
AngieA
I liked the addition of a grain as it adds bulk to the dish. Threw in some chopped chives and baby spinach since they needed to be used up. Also baked this as a quiche rather than a frittata as that’s just my preference. The addition of chopped herbs (used cilantro and mint) with a dash of lime was a perfect topper. Oh, also added a bit more salt to the egg mixture.
K
Added in a bit of minced garlic and ground coriander. Don’t skimp on the lime dressing! Spritzing some lime juice over top at the end would go over well. I also broiled at the end for about 2 minutes as I did put some cheddar cheese on top.
Deedeebus
Made this with some egg whites due to dietary restructions so that may have affected flavor, but even so this was good. LOVED the herb mix on top - don't skip - and it's even yummier the second day, when you can better appreciate the fish sauce. Agree that sambal is a great accompaniment.
easy weeknight pandemic dinner
Boiled up some kamut berries from the pantry just for this—took over an hour but started early and as I’m working from home was easy to do in the background. The rest came together quickly. Used onion for shallot; lacked birdseye chili so used a sprinkle of flakes. Not enough, it turned out. Found we enjoyed it best w more fish sauce sprinkled on top the kick of sriracha to turn up the heat. Will definitely make again. Had imagined leftovers for breakfast, but there weren’t any!
Nicole
This was delicious. I didn't have farro but used kasha instead and it held up well. Left out the chile, but it still had tons of flavor, cilantro went really well with the scallion and lime. Also ended up using a 12' skillet which made a nice thin frittata. Followed other's suggestions and did a few minutes under the broiler at the end to firm up the top. Will definitely make again!
Prakash Nadkarni
Beaten eggs seasoned with a little fish or soy sauce (for umami) are the basis of Thai-style omelettes. See seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/thai-style-omelet-khai-jiao-recipe.html. Variants add chopped fresh chili, cilantro (or parsley), as here; even ground meat.
Gary C.
Can you freeze it for later breakfasts?
Barbara
This is a perfect recipe to use the "extra" heat that an electric stove produces when the frittata is almost done. Just cover and wait a few minutes, avoiding overcooking the eggs. I never have fish sauce, so I hope to find something else, maybe Worcestershire?
RoLo
I'm the opposite - I always have fish sauce, and often use it to sub for anchovies or anchovy paste. The purpose is just to add umami-depth, so anchovies, or maybe even a strong miso or tomato paste (cooked near the end of step 2 with the shallots until caramelized) - if none of those are on hand, maybe a grating of parmesan at the very end. The Worcestershire works, but probably won't be enough of a boost on its own.
Amber
Meh, probably won't make this again since there are way better ways to use up leftover grains. May be for some folks but the combo just didn't work for me and I found the eggs tough and overcooked (definitely my fault but didn't help the finished result).
Helen
Made this using the technique as written but amended some ingredients to what I had on hand. Had a lot of leftover farro risotto with tomatoes and corn, so used that, left out fish sauce, added goat cheese, and topped with parsley leaves tossed with pickled red onions. Very versatile technique! Will absolutely try the version as written as well.
FrankW`
This is the second time I made this with Farro and I like it. First time full recipe second time with half the quantities with the same great result. In addition to the herb scallion topping I added a dollop of tomato sauce (Marcella Hazan recipe) the first time and homemade harissa sauce on the second attempt. I will be back to try this again.
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