Frittatine al bietole

These are adapted from a recipe in Faith Willinger’s Red, White, & Greens, one of my favorite cookbooks. She says they’re called subrich (su-brick) in the local dialect in the Piemonte town where she found them. Bietole is Italian for Swiss chard, but I’ve used beet greens, too. Frittatine means “little frittatas,” and since they contain an egg binder it’s as good a name as any, but I usually just call them “fried green things.”

Carefully wash a bunch of Swiss chard and cut away the thick stems (the stems can be blanched and sauteeed in olive oil with garlic). Either cook the chard briefly in boiling water and drain, or place the leaves in a heat-proof bowl, cover, and microwave for few minutes. You want them wilted and slightly cooked, but still brightly colored. Squeeze out as much of the water from the greens as you can.

Combine the cooked chard in the food processor (and this is one of those recipes where not much else works as well) with a few cloves of chopped garlic and at least a half cup (and more if you like) of chopped fresh herbs. I have rosemary growing right outside the kitchen, so that’s what I use most, but fresh oregano, marjoram, thyme or basil, alone or together, will also work. If you can’t get any fresh herbs, use Italian flat-leaf parsley instead.

Add a couple of eggs, a cup or so of grated Parmigiano or pecorino, and about a cup of bread crumbs. Willinger’s recipe uses dried bread that’s been soaked in water, then squeezed, a typically Italian use of leftover bread. But I think these come out a little lighter if you use dried bread crumbs instead. Make your own by leaving sliced bread out on the counter for a few days, then process.

Add some salt and pepper, then process everything together briefly and check the consistancy. You want the mix to hold together, but just barely, and it shouldn’t be so wet that liquid oozes out if you hold a clump on a spoon for a few seconds. Adjust with another egg or more bread crumbs if necessary.

Heat almost to the smoking point enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a heavy skillet, then carefully slide spoonfuls of the frittatina mix into the hot oil. I use a soup spoon and one of those heat-proof, silicon, spoon-shaped spatulas. Flatten each one gently. They should be about the size of an egg and maybe a half-inch thick.

Cook several at a time, but don’t crwod them. Keep the oil hot and add more if necessary for the second round. Carefully flip the frittatine using two forks when they’re nicely browned. Finish cooking, drain, and eat hot as an antipasto.