Raid-The-Fridge Frittata

I don't often ask you to get out of your seat while reading my blog, but for the frittata you see in the above picture I demand a standing ovation!

I mean, really. Can you believe that I made that? Not only did I make that, I made that bleary-eyed on a Saturday morning using just the ingredients I had on hand. And Craig, who didn't know what to expect when I said I was making a frittata, couldn't stop raving about the results. "This is like professional restaurant quality food," he declared. "Every bite has something different...you get the sweetness of the tomato, the spiciness of the jalapeno, the....." You get the idea.

Now here's the thing; when I made this breakfast? I really had no idea what I was doing. I didn't follow any frittata recipes; I just knew a frittata is easy because you mix a bunch of stuff together with your eggs, put it in a hot pan, put the pan in the oven until the top is set and then serve it. The revelation here is what I put in it and what I served alongside it.

What did I put in it? Chorizo, scallions and pickled jalapenos.

Yes I know that sounds like a strange combination, but ever since I went to Texas and ate migas, I've loved pickled jalapenos in my eggs. They give it both heat (from the jalapeno) and acid (from the vinegar it's pickled in). They're a great secret weapon to always have on hand especially at breakfast.

As for the chorizo, it was leftover from this rice dish I made a few days earlier.

I started my frittata by pre-heating the oven to 400 and heating a cast-iron skillet that I coated really well with olive oil.

When it was pretty hot, I added one diced chorizo and one chopped scallion (if I'd had more scallions, I would've added 2 or 3):

Meanwhile, I cracked six eggs into a bowl, whisked them with salt and pepper and added a little mound of chopped pickled jalapenos. I also added (and this is where things get really weird) some grated Parmesan cheese. It was the only cheese I had; if I'd had cheddar, I would've use that. When the chorizo was browned and the scallion wilted, I added the egg mixture to the pan:

I let it cook a little on the stove until the perimeter became solid (about a minute) and then placed it in the oven.

While it was in the oven, I noticed that I had cherry tomatoes and parsley; so I made a quick salad (almost a gremolata) of sliced cherry tomatoes, parsley leaves (uncut), 1 minced clove of garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. I tasted to make sure it had a real burst of acid (from the vinegar) which'd play well next to the richness of the frittata.

After a few minutes in the oven, the frittata was firm on top (I pushed it with my finger) but not brown.

I took it out, cut it into wedges and made the plate you see here:

I have a feeling this might become a new breakfast staple, though the filling and the side will change based on what I have on hand. Hence the name: Raid-The-Fridge Frittata.