Sausage, Cheddar and Apple Frittata
[served at the Columbia Heights Cheese Society meeting of 18 December 2008]
SAUSAGE, CHEDDAR AND APPLE FRITTATA
[as made]
1 lb sausage (this was a package of Nature’s Promise apple chicken sausage)
5 oz sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and very thinly sliced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 large eggs
Set an oven rack at medium height and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large measuring bowl (the kind with a handle and a spout) whisk the eggs until frothy. Drop in half the grated cheese and stir with the whisk to distribute it (settling will occur).
Heat an oven-safe, non-stick skillet (9-10”) over medium-high heat. Crumble and cook the sausage until fully cooked but do not brown. Strain and set aside in a bowl, and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Return the skillet to the burner and add the olive oil, heating it until it starts to shimmer and skate around the pan. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until clear. Add the garlic and cook just until it becomes aromatic (5 seconds or so), then return the sausage to the pan. Mix the sausage, onion, and garlic thoroughly.
Lower the burner to medium heat. Slowly add the egg and cheese, and gently stir to distribute the cheese evenly. As the egg begins to cook on the bottom, use a spatula to lift it up at the edge and tilt the skillet so that runny egg fills in the gap. As it cooks, avoid stirring the entire mixture. Instead, work your way around the edge of the pan with the spatula once or twice, filling in gaps with runny egg, just until the top of the mixture is no longer runny.
Turn the burner off. Working quickly, lay the apple slices on top of the mixture, in concentric rings from the outside in. If you run out of apple before you run out of surface, evenly redistribute what you have. Cover the apple slices with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is just starting to brown.
Cool for five to ten minutes in the skillet, then transfer to a plate or cutting board. Slice like a pie and serve.
[notes]
This recipe was partly cobbled together from cookbooks and online recipes, and partly made up as I went along. Knowing I was taking it to a party, I made more than I would have otherwise. For more reasonable portions, use the following quantities:
1/2 lb sausage
3 oz sharp cheddar (1oz in with the eggs, 2oz for the top)
1 Fuji apple
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 large eggs
For brighter flavor, add finely chopped fresh parsley when you add the garlic (I didn’t have any on hand). Chives would also work well - finely chop and mix them with the egg and cheese.
