Sometimes being Tribeca Yummy Mummy really has its perks. For instance, when the Greenmarket asked me to represent at this year’s Taste of Tribeca, I jumped at the chance. At first it was just going to be a planting gig, helping plant some herbs and talk to some of the locals about how fabulous it is to have a greenmarket so close by.
But, then of course, I asked if I could do some cooking, give everyone a recipe in which they can use all those fresh herbs that they would be planting and growing. And, well, after perusing all the springtime goods, the recipe turned into cooking an emu frittata. Al fresco. On a camp stove.
Seriously? I live for this sort of thing. Without proper implements (like, say, a power drill), I had to whack open that big green egg on the edge of a bowl. That takes real woman power by the way. Then, with a bunch of minis and big people gathered around, we poked and prodded at the gigantic pale yellow yolk, large as a saucer with the consistency of lemon curd. After throwing in a few aromatic herbs, spring onions, and garlic, we bravely cooked our frittata with great gusts of wind whooshing off the Hudson River and putting out our little flame periodically. In the end, though, the emu frittata was a hit. Creamier than a chicken egg but with a completely pleasant flavor.
One small word about using these exotic eggs. Make sure that you either have a large family or that you have sent out a brunch invite to a few friends because you will have such a large serving on your hands that you will feel overwhelmed. If you absolutely cannot find an emu egg at your local greenmarket, then substitute 10-12 chicken eggs and cut out the 1/2 cup of water from your ingredient list.
We served our frittata appetizer-style atop a beautiful little bruschetta. Thank you and a huge shout out to Roaming Acres/So Fun Farms for that impressive green egg and to Stokes Farm, Inc. for the beautiful herbs and for the flavorful green onions and garlic.
Emu Egg Frittata
*an emu egg
*1/2 c. water
*1 T. rosemary, chopped
*2 T. thyme, chopped + more for a garnish
*1 T. chives, chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 cup finely chopped onion (green, leeks, red, etc.)
*one confit duck leg, chopped, optional
*salt and pepper, to taste
*1 T. rendered duck fat or 1 T. butter
Bruschetta:
*One baguette, cut width-wise into 1/4 inch slices
*1/4 c. olive oil
Big Person: Turn your broiler on high. With your mini chef, place the baguette slices on two baking sheets. Put under the broiler for a couple of minutes, turn the bread with some tongs, and cook another couple of minutes so that both sides are golden. Note: your mini chef should never ever come near the oven or the hot pan!
Remove the toasts to a cooling rack.
Together: Using a pastry brush, brush a bit of olive oil onto one side of the toasts. Once the toasts are cool and brushed with the oil, place them on a big serving platter.
In a large bowl, crack open that large green egg. If some of the shell makes it into the bowl, take the time to pick out the bits. Crunchy is not tasty in this frittata! Add the herbs, water, garlic, and confit duck meat and whisk together.
Big Person: Warm the butter or duck fat over medium-low heat in an 8-10-inch skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring every once in a while, till onions are translucent. Turn the heat down to very low and add the emu egg mixture. Cook till the sides are set, about 12-15 minutes.
Place the pan in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes, till the frittata is cooked all the way through and the top is puffs up and browns.
Remove your frittata from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Cut it into small pieces, a little smaller than your bruschetta pieces. Place the frittata pieces on top of the bruschetta. Top with a tiny piece of thyme. Serve warm.
