Bacon, Camembert, Sage Frittata

Saturday night dinner began with a bottle of a nice Spanish red (2002 Telmo Rodriguez "G", a nice value).  Then before I know it, I'm sipping on an amazingly foamy, fizzy drink made with rum and ginger beer at a fantastic and pricey cocktail lounge called Pegu Club. A few ginger beer/rum cocktails later, I'm cruising toward a Sunday am hangover.

I was in too much pain to head out to brunch, so I needed to satisfy my hangover myself.  Bacon. Check.  Eggs.  Check. Multiple cheeses, including a Camembert and Gruyere.  Check.  Sage.  Done.  A frittata it is.

After about 15 minutes of prep and about 15 minutes of oven time, I had a crusty, golden brown frittata featuring  smoky bacon, creamy and tangy Camembert, gooey Gruyere and the earthy flavors of sage. 

The key to a good frittata, in my opinion, is a golden brown exterior along with a fluffy, creamy interior.

The method to my frittata madness is after the jump.

This recipe serves two.

4-5 large eggs
2 tablespoons half and half
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3-4 strips bacon
1/4 cup camembert, rough chopped
1 large handful of grated gruyere
1 heaping tblsp chopped sage

Choose your vessel well

This is the key to a fluffy yet golden fritatta, i have learned.  You need a vessel that gives you height, encouraging the eggs to rise rather than just cooking in a shallow, thin layer.  A souffle pan is a good choice, a saucier could work, as does this little le cruiset casserole pot that i use below.

Make the Frittata

Preheat the oven to 450. Butter your above vessel well for non-sticking and browning purposes. Whisk the eggs, cream, pinch of salt and pepper, chopped sage, chopped camembert and gruyere in the above recommended frittatta vessel and whisk so it all comes together.  Pay extra attention to the large chunks of camembert so they get broken down into the egg mixture. Set aside. Make your bacon.  While you make the bacon, chop the shallot and garlic finely. When the bacon is done, drain the bacon fat and cook the onion and garlic in the bacon pan on low heat for about 2 minutes or so (red pepper flakes or diced chili here is a good idea).  Make sure to scrape the bits from the bottom.  Add the crumbled bacon, onion and garlic to the egg mixture and mix. 

Place the vessel in the oven and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Check it with a toothpick to see the status of the inside, it should come away clean but you don't want to overcook it, so some moisture here is OK as it will cook after you take it out of the oven.

Using a rubber spatula or knife, loosen the frittata from vessel around the edges and let rest for a minute or two before carving your servings. Word.