Sometimes the ingredients dictate the dish. A few braised morels, shredded fontina from pizza night, a handful of freshly snipped chives and a few bundles of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus all came together this morning. Long ago I worked for an Italian family that would make fritattas out of whatever leftovers happened to be around. It's a habit I quickly absorbed and appropriated because anything can taste good in a fritatta. Alex asked me to keep the asparagus whole for presentation. I folded the chives and morels into the beaten eggs and poured them into a hot pan gilded with olive oil. I shook the pan over the heat and stirred the mixture briskly with a silicone spatula until the eggs began to thicken. Then I added the cheese. I continued to stir until the mixture was mostly set but still a bit runny. I added the asparagus bundles, pressing them gently into the eggs. Finally I slid the pan under the broiler in our toaster oven. The door wouldn't completely shut because of the pan handle. This forced me to let it slowly brown and set. Serendipity. What started with lefteovers ended with none.
Years Past
