Smoky Frittata

I’ve been chewing away now for about ten days, and I can really see improvement day to day in the types of food I can eat. There’s nothing crunchy on the menu, of course, but compared to liquids it really does feel like there’s a world of opportunity: seafood, potatoes, most vegetables, and lots and lots of eggs. I could launch, Forrest Gump-style, into the litany of egg preparations I’m enjoying (there’s scrambled eggs, fried eggs, eggs over easy…) but last week for lunch at work I brought this fantastic frittata, and it’s a great find for people who are recovering from jaw surgery, and just any old humans who like eggs.

I first made this a few months ago and didn’t take photos because I frankly wasn’t expecting it to be very exciting. But I was wrong, and it was the most exciting frittata I’d ever eaten and turned out to be a really great work lunch (with a side salad, though salad is still out of the question for me at the moment). So this was at the top of my list for soft foods to transition into, and it was just as good as I remembered.

I’ll first point out that, compared with many of Yotam Ottolenghi’s amazing recipes, this one has hardly any crazy and difficult-to-source ingredients. I sort of revel in the hunt to pull together a bunch of insane spices to tackle a new dish, but I know most people do not operate like this. This is all pure grocery store stuff- maybe a slightly high-end grocery store for things like crème fraiche and smoked mozzarella.

The beauty of a frittata is its unfussiness. There’s minimal prep here- cutting up a cauliflower and boiling it for a few minutes, grating some cheese, and chopping a few tablespoons of chives. You then brown the cauliflower in an oven-proof pan and pour the egg mixture on top, give it a few minutes on the stove top, then top with cheese and stick it in the oven. It’s basically one of the easiest meals you could throw together.

Not only is it easy, but it’s substantial with a full layer of cauliflower at the base. And the flavor! As the title suggests, it’s got a smoky kick that comes from smoked paprika and grated smoked mozzarella that’s baked inside and on top. Sharp cheddar gives it depth and an edge. Chives sweeten it up a little. And the crème fraiche adds a creaminess to the texture that keeps it from drying out. In the name of keeping it simple just like this dish, I will only say: it is really, really good.