Wild Alaskan Tanner Crab Frittata

We came up with this frittata recipe during a sailing trip from Sitka to Juneau for the kickoff of the spring Folk Fest. This recipe was originally created with Dungeness crab but any crab or even smoked salmon can be used. After an intense weather filled evening the night before we decided to pull into Taku harbor just before Juneau to get out of the waves and drop some crab rings. Everything in the fridge had been thrown around and the cracked eggs had to be used before they went bad. As we prepared the frittata the crew pulling the crab rings would pull up and hand us fresh crab through the galley window. This recipe can be adapted to whatever size cast iron you have and is good with a wide range of different ingredients

You will need a well seasoned cast iron pan (12″) and preheat your oven to the high broil setting.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup asparagus
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 3/4 cup mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cup of cooked and picked crab meat
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup feta
• 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
• 1/4 cup micro greens
• 1/2 lemon for juice

Instructions:

1. Get a cast iron ripping hot and set your oven to the broil setting. Make sure the top rack is as close to the top of the oven it can get while still being able to fit the cast iron.
2. In a bowl whisk the eggs, half of the Old Bay, precooked crab, feta, and parsley together. Set aside.
3. Cut the asparagus, tomato, onion, mushroom to bite size pieces and mince the garlic. Add all of that to a bowl and coat in olive oil with the rest of the Old Bay.
4. In the hot cast iron pour the contents of the vegetable bowl into the pan. Once you get a little bit of color on the asparagus and the onion is starting to get opaque pull from the heat and pour on to a baking sheet that is covered in paper towels. Allow the excess liquid to get absorbed by the paper towel and quickly pat the veggies down. You do not want excess liquid from the mixture going into the frittata or it will not properly hold its structure.
5. While the veggies are resting, use a dry paper towel and clean your cast iron pan and put it back on to high heat.
6. Once the veggies have drained off some liquid and cooled a little bit add to the egg mixture.
7. Add the butter to the hot cast iron pan and once the butter starts to foam add the combined egg/veggie mixture to the pan.
8. DO NOT STIR. You want the veggies suspended in the eggs.
9. Cook on the stove-top for about 5-7 minutes. Once you see the sides of the mixture start to pull away from the pan put the pan uncovered into the broiler for about 7-10 minutes
10. To check if it is done remove the pan and give it a little jiggle or poke the middle with a toothpick. If liquid comes out or does not look like the consistency of set Jell-O return to the oven. The high heat of the broiler will cook the eggs off well before you burn the top.
11. Once it is set remove from the oven.
12. With a baking sheet or plate that is slightly larger than the cast iron cover the cast iron and carefully flip the cast iron over. The frittata will easily slide out of the cast iron and come out onto the plate. This can be done by yourself but is much easier with an extra set of hand
13. Squirt a little bit of fresh lemon juice over the frittata and cut into pie size pieces. Add a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream to each piece with a light dusting of Old Bay and twirl of micro greens.
14. Can be served hot or cold.