Potato, Mushroom & Leek Frittata

The other weekend I had a slumber party with some of my girlfriends - never too old, right? - but I was faced with some major dietary challenges. One of my friends is gluten intolerant while another is Muslim and doesn't eat pork, so I was at a loss when it came to deciding what to serve for breakfast the following morning. My go-to for gluten free breakfast options all rely heavily on pork (cause bacon and sausages are LIFE), while I tend to stick with things like crepes or French toast when it comes to serving my vegetarian friends breakfast. Obviously, neither of these options would work for all of my guests, and I wanted one easy dish that I could whip and and make everyone happy with.

Enter...the frittata! A truly underrated invention in my opinion - it's a simple gluten free breakfast option with so many possibilities! I've tried making frittatas in the past, but unfortunately they've all turned out extremely wet and soggy. So I hopped on the internet to figure out what I had done wrong in the past, and here's what I found:

Cook all add-ins ahead - Any vegetables (and meats) MUST be cooked ahead of time to give the liquids a chance to release so that they aren't released inside your frittata during the cooking process. You will see in this recipe how the potatoes, mushrooms, and leeks are all cooked prior to making the actual frittata.

Although I didn't use meat in this recipe, bacon or sausage work beautifully in any frittata. Again, make sure it is fully cooked (and some of the grease absorbed by a paper towel) prior to adding it to your frittata.

Transfer from stovetop to oven during cooking - Some frittata recipes will have you thinking that you can just pop it straight in the oven, but this is not the case. The most important thing is to make sure you use the correct pan, ideally cast-iron, but anything that can be transferred from stovetop to oven during the cooking process will do. Beginning the cooking process on the stovetop and then transferring the pan to the oven will make sure that the frittata sets properly all the way through, not just on the top.

Don't skip on the dairy - The magic ratio is 1/2 cup of milk or cream for every 12 eggs, and I strongly recommend going full fat! As you will see, my recipe below uses 1/2 cup of cream (but you can substitute regular milk if you must) as well as ricotta and parmesan cheeses. Since this particular frittata doesn't have any bacon or sausage, I figured why not be a little extravagant with the dairy?

Now, on to the recipe!

Serves: 8-10

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

What you need:

• 12 eggs (this is for a 12 inch pan, for a 10 inch pan add 8-10 eggs & adjust amounts of other ingredients accordingly)

• 3 white potatoes, washed

• 2 leeks, chopped (white parts only, cut the green ends off where the white is just beginning to turn green. You can save these ends for soup stock if desired.)

• 230 grams cremini mushrooms, chopped (should be approx 2 cups when chopped)

• ½ cup ricotta cheese, plus 2 tbsp for topping

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

• ½ cup cream

• 2 tbsp butter, divided, plus more for greasing the pan if desired

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp paprika

• Salt & pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Shred potatoes, then, using a strainer, rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Pat dry with paper towel.

3. Add 1 tbsp of the butter to the skillet and sauté mushrooms on medium heat with some salt and pepper until they release their liquids, then add the leeks and sauté for 3-5 more minutes. Once the leeks look translucent, stir in the garlic until it becomes fragrant (approx 30 seconds). Scoop the entire mushroom, leek and garlic mixture onto a plate and set aside.

4. Add the second tbsp of the butter to the skillet along with the shredded potatoes, paprika, garlic powder, and some salt and pepper. Fry until crispy golden brown. *Note: you may choose to do this step in a non-stick pan if you’re worried about the potatoes sticking to the pan*

5. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, combining with the cream, parmesan, ½ cup of the ricotta, thyme leaves, and salt & pepper. Then, gently stir in the mushroom & leek mixture as well as the fried potatoes.

6. At this point, you may want to grease your skillet with a little bit more butter or oil to keep the frittata from sticking. Gently pour the entire mixture into the skillet and cook on medium low for 3-5 minutes, until the edges are just set.

7. Gently dot the top of the frittata with the remaining ricotta and then transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the eggs are set and no longer jiggle in the centre and the top looks golden brown.

*Note: Baking time will be reduced if you are making a smaller frittata with fewer eggs. It can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes in this case, just keep an eye on it.*

8. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.