This is truly a one-wok dish. It can be made ahead and served at room temperature as tapas, an appetizer or for breakfast or brunch. A cast iron wok shows its versatility so well in this dish! You use only one pan, first to fry (I’ve eliminated this step since I posted this, see below under step 3) and then to bake the frittata or quiche or in Spain, they call it a Tortilla!
I was so thrilled to be asked to develop Wok Fajitas (posting soon) and Wok Baked Tortilla for The Miami Herald feature story, Wok This Way. The original story was a piece I wrote for Associated Press which included Wok Picadillo.
Wok Oven Baked Tortilla Omelet
photos taken at Pepe Calderin Design Showroom
Prep time: 20 minutes. Baking time: 35 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 medium yellow or Vidalia onion, diced
1 small or 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
6 mini sweet peppers (2 each red, orange and yellow), diced
6 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
2 scallions, cut in small rounds
2 tablespoons canola or other high-heat oil, divided
Sprigs of mint, parsley or cilantro for garnish
Chili sauce (optional)
Method:
1) Set oven to 355 degrees and place wok stand on rack in middle of the oven. Prep the vegetables as described in the ingredient list and set aside on chopping board.
2) In a medium bowl, lightly mix eggs with sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper to taste and scallion slices.
3) Heat wok on high. Add 1 tablespoon oil, and immediately add garlic, peppers and onions. Fry them just a little; they should still be very crisp and colorful. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool. (I’ve since experimented and don’t skip frying the veggies! Just add raw veggies to egg, sour cream and cheese mixture in a bowl. What a time saver and not necessary.)
4) Off heat, wipe out the wok with paper towels, and coat with remaining tablespoon of oil. Combined cooled vegetables with egg mixture and add to wok, spreading evenly with a spatula.
5) Set wok on the stand in oven and bake for about 35 minutes, until tortilla is golden brown. Use a sharp knife to test the middle where it’s thickest. If still a little runny, switch off oven and let it set for another 5 or 10 minutes.
6) Remove tortilla from oven and let cool it before cutting into wedges or small squares. Garnish with herbs and serve with a dish of chili sauce for those who like it spicy. Makes 12 servings.
Present tortilla, frittata or quiche in the wok and stand especially for a pot luck. It’ll give it a WOW factor.
Per serving: Per serving: 145 calories (73 percent from fat), 11.8 g fat (5.4 g saturated, 4.4 g monounsaturated), 114 mg cholesterol, 7.7 g protein, 2.4 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 146 mg sodium.