The Extra Step For A Perfectly Golden Brown Frittata

If you love all things egg, then you've likely worked your way through the seemingly endless list of ways to prepare this delicious staple food, from a simple scramble to a fluffy omelet to an indulgent eggs Benedict — in addition to relying on the structure and consistency that eggs lend to desserts and baked goods. But if you're ready to branch out into additional savory preparations of the incredible, edible egg, it's probably high time you whip up a frittata.

Basically a quiche without the crust, a frittata is like an Italian version of an open-faced omelet and its name comes from the Italian verb friggere, which means "to fry" — referring to how the dish is fried in a skillet or cast iron pan (via National Post). Almost infinitely adaptable, frittatas can be packed with leftovers such as cooked, cubed meats, grated cheeses, of leftover wilted vegetables such as spinach. But no matter which fillings you choose to stir into your frittata, there's one step you'll want to take in order to assure a lovely browned top.

If you've ever made a frittata at home, you know that this eggy delight that's perfect at pretty much any time of day can either be cooked on the stovetop from start to finish or started on the stovetop and transferred to the oven to bake through (via The Spruce Eats). But whichever method you choose, you're going to want to preheat your oven, because a delightfully golden-brown frittata calls for sticking the finished dish under the broiler for a minute or so.

In our guide to making frittatas, we point out that sticking a frittata under the broiler achieves two goals: One, a tender, not-overcooked center, and two, a beautiful, burnished top. Whether preparing your frittata on the stovetop or baking it in the oven, you'll want to cook it until the eggs are just set and still a little jiggly, to ensure that your creation is nice and tender inside. That, however, will leave you with a wan top. So once the frittata is cooked through, stick it under a hot broiler for one to two minutes, watching it closely so it doesn't burn. This extra step leaves a nicely golden brown top that will look stunning when placed on your table among other brunchtime delights.