Zucchini Frittata

Today's recipe was
published in The Vancouver Sun (9-15-21) in an article on zucchini by Karen Barnaby - an executive chef at the award-winning Fish House restaurant in Vancouver. She has been a contributor for many years and some of my favorite go to recipes have come from her columns.

In this one she offered three recipes that looked incredible - a chocolate zucchini brownie, a sheet pan of zucchini rounds baked with tomatoes and a block of feta cheese, and this frittata stuffed with 2 lbs. of super thin sliced zucchini. My simple image above is no where as fabulous as the professional one in the paper, but I did my amateur best.  

Reading through the recipe ahead of time, the overall cooking process is fairly simply and easy to follow. Probably my only concern was the pan she used.  She recommends a 10 inch non-stick skillet on top of the stove and then puts the pan in the oven to finish cooking the frittata. The non-stick pans I have do not have oven proof handles, and I don't think most do. So check that out first.

I decided to use what I had rather than buy a new pan - a good quality cast iron skillet. As I hadn't gotten around to it before, I seasoned it well a few hours before cooking. Seasoning is a science-based method that protects the material, creates a natural nonstick surface, and flavors the pan over time by bonding oil to the iron. - instructions here. It's supposed to create a non-stick surface, but in the end I lost the bottom of the frittata, so if I make this recipe again, I'll have to get the correct pan. 

My carnivore husband had a leftover pork chop from the night before to enjoy with his frittata, but I had mine with a big salad on the side. 

Enjoy!

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Zucchini Frittata
Recipe says serves 6, but I would say 4 max

Ingredients - 

2 lbs                 Zucchini, trimmed
2 tsps                Salt
4 T                    Extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 C             Thinly sliced onion
6                       Large eggs
1/2 tsp              Salt
1/4 tsp              Pepper
1 tsp                 Fresh thyme leaves
Optional Toppings - crumbled goat cheese and halved cherry or grape tomatoes

Heat the oven to 325 F (160 C).

Slice zucchini crosswise into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices — if you have a mandoline, use it — and transfer to a large bowl. Toss well with 2 tsp (10 mL) salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the water with your hands.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) non-stick pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until brown around the edges. Remove the onions, leaving oil in the pan. Whisk the eggs, 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt, pepper and thyme together. Fold in the onions and zucchini.

Heat the frying pan and oil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and as the egg sets, draw the egg from the outside of the pan toward the middle letting the egg flow underneath. Do this 3-4 times around the perimeter of the pan, then transfer to the oven. 

Bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Note - I decorated each serving with crumbled goat cheese and tomatoes after plating. 

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