Herb-and-Olive Frittata

By Mark Bittman

Published August 13, 2011

  • Yunhee Kim for The New York Times. Food stylist: Megan Schlow. Prop stylist: Deborah Williams.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 to 25 minutes
Rating
5(133)
Comments
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In this recipe, herbs are the focus, but to use herbs on a grand scale, it helps to know which ones work in that role and which ones don’t. Parsley, obviously, works in abundance: it’s clean-tasting, pleasantly grassy and almost never overwhelming. You can add literally a bunch (bunches!) of it to salad, soup, eggs, pasta, grains or beans. The same is largely true of basil, and you can use other mild herbs — chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, shiso — by at least the handful. (Mint is also useful but will easily take over a dish if you add too much of it.) I put most other herbs — epazote, lavender, marjoram and oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme — in the category of strong herbs, which must be used more sparingly than mild herbs. You usually don’t want to use more than a tablespoon or so of strong herbs in a dish. This frittata uses generous amounts of both parsley and basil and lesser amounts of dill, mint, rosemary or thyme.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • ½ cup chopped black olives, preferably oil-cured

  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 cup chopped fresh basil

  • ½ cup chopped fresh dill

  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme

  • 8 eggs, lightly beaten

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • Salt

  • black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

8 grams carbs; 215 milligrams cholesterol; 213 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 346 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the olives and herbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and become dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, milk, flour and some salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Turn heat to low and pour the egg mixture into the skillet, using a spoon if necessary to evenly distribute the herbs and olives. Cook, undisturbed, until the eggs are just set, 5 to 10 minutes. (You can set the top further by putting the pan in an oven at 350 for a few minutes or by running it under the broiler for a minute or two.) Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
133 user ratings
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Comments

SonomaSMB

Wow, really excellent and good advice on the herbs. Leeks are great in this. If fat is a concern, halve the oil and throw out a couple of yolks. If fat isn't a concern, grate some cheese over the top and finish in the oven.

Thanks Mark Bittman!

LMK

I make parsley-rich herb frittatas frequently (starting long before I saw this recipe). I would encourage readers to experiment with using fewer eggs for the amount of herbs in this recipe (or more herbs if you want to use 8 eggs) -- a matter of personal taste, obviously.

tdalec

Whoa. Too much oil, too much milk. What a wet mess that would be. I sauteed the onions and garlic in one tablespoon of oil, added the herbs and olives, omitted the flour and cooked using Martha Rose Shulman's frittata template with 8 eggs ( https://body-change.today/recipes/1016415-frittata-template?action=cli... ). Delicious.

Rachel

I’m surprised there aren’t more comments about this recipe. This Fritatta was delicious. I received 12 fresh eggs from a neighbor so I increased all ingredients proportionately. Went a bit heavy on all the herbs. After the herbs/olives were prepared, I distributed evenly in the pan and sprinkled crumbled feta over that concoction. Next I added the egg mixture. Cooked on the stove for about five minutes, lightly lifted the edges to redistribute the egg mixture and then put it under the broiler for about two minutes. Absolutely delicious.

Alison

I’ve made many frittatas and have never finished cooking them on the stove — I’ve always fully or partially cooked them in the oven. I was intrigued by this recipe suggesting that stovetop-only could be done. Lo and behold, 20 minutes later, and I still had a wet frittata top and a seriously overcooked base. I strongly suggest finishing this one in the oven at 400 for 5 minutes.

cao

Absolutely delicious! Made the recipe as-is, except for substituting Castelvetrano olives for black olives and abundant chives for a large onion, because we had them on hand. Topped with feta and broiled for a couple of minutes at the end. 10 out of 10.

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