Edjeh - An Herb Frittata of Sorts

Has it been two months already?! Where did the time go? The holidays came and went so fast I feel like the Roadrunner just ran past me and I am barely regaining my footing. Ooof.

We spent the holidays in sunny, beautiful LA with a full house of sisters, brother-in-law, a hyperactive toddler and an all-too-cute infant. Plus the seemingly endless procession of aunts, uncles, cousins and their children!! Chaos abound!! I loved it. I miss it already.

I picked up a few things from being back home. First of all – I realized that recipes don’t necessarily translate that easily across borders. My cousin gave my pear cake recipe a try for one of our family “soorj” (coffee) gatherings. Turns out French flour and American flour ain’t quite the same thing and the poor cake came out heavy and dense. That was my fault. I had the reverse problem when I first tried to bake cookies and cakes from American recipes here in Paris. Everything I tried would sink like a bad soufflé! With a bunch of trial and error I learned to use cake flour (which is lighter and has an added leavening ingredient) for some recipes and more flour for other recipes. I thought about how to fix it and added some ideas to the original post.

Second – my mom, a bit encouraged by my interest in her cooking, actually taught me how to make some of my favorite dishes.

Now we’re am back to our quiet, organized tiny apartment in the heart of Paris, back to relying on my own two feet to get around, back to grey skies and perpetual rain, back to work, work, and more work. I have wanted to sit down and share some recipes with you but…well work has been in the way.

So to get things rolling again I thought I would start with something simple – a dish that can serve as breakfast, a snack, an appetizer, or even dinner. This is something my aunt would make when we were over at her house. It’s healthy. It’s easy. And it’s pretty darn good.

Edjeh

Edjeh is essentially an herb omelette or frittata. There are only a handful of ingredients: eggs, parsley, scallions, and garlic. Just a little chopping, a little beating, and patience with a skillet are all you need.

Makes about 8, 2-inch diameter “edjeh-ettes” or one 9-inch skillet’s worth.

4 eggs, 2 bunches of parsley (roughly chopped), 4 scallions (chopped), 1 clove garlic (minced), Salt and Pepper to taste,
1 tablespoon butter

Edjeh is green. Green eggs and ham!!! Finally I can imagine what real green eggs would look like!! Parsley is the key. First beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Then add the chopped parsley and scallions. The mixture should essentially be more greens than eggs. If your bunches of parsley aren’t that big, then consider adding a third bunch. Then add the garlic, salt and pepper. Melt the butter evenly in the skillet over a medium heat. Add the egg-parley mixture and swirl it around so that it’s evenly spread. Wait. The egg will cook at the bottom of the skillet first because it’s heavier. Once the bottom has lightly browned, flip it over and cook the other side.

When it is lightly browned and firm on both sides, remove it from the heat. You can cut it into squares with a knife or you can get a little fancy and use circle or any shape cookie cutters. Serve with some pita bread and pickles (toorshi of course) and be happy.