Sam Zeoli’s Frittata with Eggs, Potatoes, Onions, and Italian Sausage

Frittata di Sam Zeoli con Uova, Patate, Cipolle, e Salsicce
Many years ago when my father Sam used to work in Manhattan during the week, the weekends were the only times I didn’t see him wearing a suit with tie and a fedora. On Saturdays and Sundays he would dress in casual pants, wear good walking shoes, and usually have on a plaid sports shirt. On several occasions he would get inspired to make us all an Italian-style brunch on Saturday morning. He never said much about cooking, but he would just take the plunge into the frying pan and get started. He was actually a very good cook – whatever he did make was always flavorful and definitely Italian. One time while I was making myself some eggs, he advised me to use both the butter and olive oil – he knew this from his European upbringing and his travels overseas – as he told me on two occasions.
His cooking had a distinct aroma – he would combine the butter and oil when he made his frittatas. Adele and I would usually toast the bread and set the table in the kitchen to get ready for one delicious frittata. Sometimes as an accompaniment to the frittata, he would take out a can of caponatina to have with bread rather than use butter. I remember that the salsiccia and Parmigiano Reggiano gave the kitchen a very pleasant aroma. Whenever I make this frittata at home, I am taken back to the Syosset kitchen and think about the good foods that came out of it.
This is my dad’s frittata to the best of my memory – if I am missing something, don’t hesitate to post.
Ingredients for 4:
8 large eggs, beaten
A little water to add to the eggs
Sea salt and pepper to taste (I am partial to sea salt – use any salt you want)
2 T butter (he only used real butter)
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 T extra for the salsicce
A little dried parsley (about 2 teaspoons) or use a handful of fresh, chopped
About ½ c of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, give or take a few ounces, plus some extra for topping
2-3 salsicce or about ½ lb, either sweet or mild
1 large red or green pepper
1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
3 medium-sized potatoes, sliced thinly
A little of the fat from the salsicce
Preparation:
Place 1 T of olive oil into a big frying pan (Daddy used to use the big Revere frying pan that Gilda used for sausage and peppers).
Place salsicce in pan and brown thoroughly on medium-high flame. Remove when done and set aside, keeping them warm.
Leave about a tablespoon or two of sausage fat in the pan. Add the onions and peppers, and sauté them until soft on medium flame. Remove from pan and place in bowl, setting them aside, keeping them warm.
If you need additional oil in pan, add it; otherwise, place potatoes in the pan and cook them until golden brown, turning them as necessary.
In the meantime take your eggs and beat them in a bowl with a little water. To that, add salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Mix thoroughly.
Take the cooked sausage and cut it into slices, the size of gambling chips like the ones they use in black jack at gambling resorts.
When potatoes are done, pour egg mixture into pan, then the sausage pieces (arrange them), and then the cooked peppers and onions. Distribute everything equally in the pan. Cook on low flame, covering most of the pan, for about 10-15 minutes or until frittata is done (the top should have no liquid egg). To expedite cooking and prevent burning, take a spatula and lift an edge of frittata in pan, tilting the pan towards spatula to allow the uncooked egg to reach the bottom of pan.
Divide up frittata, sprinkling each piece with additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Serve with crusty Italian bread, and possibly caponatina.
Buon appetito from Sam.