The Best Type Of Pan For Making Frittatas
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Just like there's more than one way to crack an egg, there's certainly more than one way to make a frittata. When you approach this classic Italian egg dish, one thing you'll want to make sure of is that you have the right pan for the job.
As The Kitchen Project points out, the frittata is a dish with an interesting history. While it is most often attributed to Italy, there's no clear, single origin for it. It certainly came from the Mediterranean, but that's where the trail splits in countless directions. This is likely the reason that we can find similar dishes throughout the region, such as the recipes for the Spanish tortilla or the French quiche Lorraine. However, one key difference between the frittata and the other egg dishes is that it's a humble, home-cooked meal that's often a vehicle for leftovers, so it's not something you would typically see in an Italian restaurant, per DeLallo.
According to The Petite Cook, the Italian method for making a frittata is to cook the eggs in a pan until they are set, flip them onto a plate, and then return them to the skillet to finish the other side. One of the ways to handle this flip, and likely save some clean-up along the way, is to buy a frittata pan set (via On the Gas). However, if you don't make enough frittatas to justify buying a new pan, there is another method that does not require any shopping.
Oven-safe pans are essential frittata tools
Our preferred method for making a frittata is a little different, and arguably easier, as it requires less technique and uses equipment you likely already own. Instead of flipping the half-cooked frittata from one vessel to another, and back again, simply transfer the pan from the stovetop to the oven.
Kitchn reports that the key to this method is using a pan that doesn't have any wood or plastic parts to it. The high temperatures of the oven can damage these materials, and you should use an all-metal pan instead. This way you can easily move from the stove to the oven without fear. With this method, the radiant heat of the oven will easily set the eggs into the perfect, custardy texture you desire without any flipping involved.
The food site also specifically recommends a properly seasoned cast iron skillet for this task. Not only will its all-metal construction make cooking in the oven a worry-free feat, but it will also add to the quality of the frittata. Cast iron's natural nonstick surface and excellent heat conduction provide nice browning around the edges and it easily releases from the pan when it's time to serve.