Favourite chard and onion frittata

Whenever we have chard in the fridge and we don’t know what to do with it, we make a chard frittata/omelet. It took us a few tries to get the cooking temperatures sorted out – keep the burner fairly low so the bottom doesn’t scorch. (Note the alternative cooking method at the end.) Leftovers are good reheated (and/or tucked into a sandwich). This recipe is from Deborah Madison’s ever-inspiring Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.



2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
1 bunch chard, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
A few pinches of salt
6 to 8 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped basil (or 1 Tbsp dried basil)
2 tsp chopped thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
1 c. grated cheese of your choice
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan, divided

Equipment:
Oven-proof 10-inch frying pan

Cook the vegetables: Heat the oil in your oven-proof 10-inch frying pan, add the onion and the chopped chard stems, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely soft but not browned, about 10 or 15 minutes. (Don’t worry if the chard stems discolour) Add the chopped chard leaves and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has cooked off and the leaves are tender, about 15 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Make the egg mixture: Meanwhile, chop the garlic clove with a few pinches of salt, then stir it into the eggs with the herbs, grated cheese and 1 Tbsp of the Parmesan.

Slowly cook everything together: Turn up the heat under the frying pan to medium-high. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and stir to mix them together. Keep the heat at medium-high for a minute, then turn it to low. Cook until the eggs are “set but still moist on top”, about 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t try to rush this by turning up the heat! To find out if it is “set”, poke the omelet with a knife to test it – it should have a firm, quiche-y feeling on the bottom. “Moist on top” means a shallow lake of uncooked egg covers the top. Turn off the burner.

Broil the top: Adjust your oven shelves if needed and preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the omelet, then broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat until browned the way you like it (the eggs on top get cooked at this point). When it’s done, cut the omelet into wedges and serve plain or with some kind of condiment (mayonnaise, ketchup, salsa, pesto, just about anything seems to work).

Oven method

This method comes from Art Smith’s Back to the Table:

Cook the vegetables and make the egg mixture as above. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, mix it all together, then cook undisturbed over medium-low heat for about 3 or 5 minutes. You want the very bottom of the eggs to be set (poke to test). A lot of uncooked egg on top is fine. Turn off the burner.

Put your oven-proof frying pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the omelet feels firm in the centre. It may take longer if you have a lot of vegetables. All done!