Savory Mediterranean-Style Eggs

Throughout the Mediterranean, you can discover many egg and quiche-like dishes. These savory products with interchangeable flavor profiles may be called tortas, tortillas, tarts, quiches, frittatas or omelets.

Their various flavor concepts and combinations of ingredients make savory sense. Mixing and matching flavors, colors and textures in egg-based savory items can prove interesting and various combinations of garnishes make them even more tasteful and can include roasted red bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, caramelized shallots, zucchini, cheeses, potatoes, cream, tomatoes, capers, green peppercorns, herbs, serrano ham, prosciutto, sausage, crispy bacon, olives ... the list is endless.

Tortas, tortillas, tarts, quiches, frittatas and omelets are examples of home-style, egg-based comfort foods from around the Mediterranean. A simple diced onion, potato and egg tortilla (not a corn or flour tortilla from Mexico, but a pie or cake-type mainstay of Spain) is a delicious and simple treasure. In Italy, a sweet bell pepper, basil and zucchini frittata is a treat eaten warm or cold -- morning, noon and night. Eggs are used in numerous ways and provide a perfect platform to launch endless combinations of flavors, colors and textures. Mixtures of eggs and potatoes cooked together promote a savory flavor note, are very nutritional, and fill the belly until the next meal. These belly fillers are not only flavorful, but practical, too. The cost to produce a Spanish tortilla is minimal and can feed a family of four when served with a light salad and fruit plate. This nutritious and savory combination appeals to many cultures around the world. Therefore, many cultures have adapted their own versions of egg casserole dishes. Some are savory and a few sweet.

As we discover flavors from Mediterranean cuisine, we notice the ingredients and the cooking techniques to prepare each category. The ratio of egg, potato and garnish varies as does the texture and consistency. For example, some egg-based variations will require whipping air into the eggs to add volume and create a lighter texture.

If adding fried potato to the egg mixture in a Spanish tortilla, a caramelized cooked-potato flavor prevails. Boiled potatoes lend a more-subtle flavor. One of my favorite methods is to roast the potatoes to a golden perfection, then add to the eggs with tasty, colorful garnishes. The use of leftovers from the previous night's dinner is very common in these egg-type casseroles.

These dishes are prepared in many shapes and forms. The tortilla is served by the slice, like a piece of pie. A quiche or tart can be bite-sized or larger and also served by the slice. An omelet is usually served as an individual piece per person. Sharing the plate with a selection of fresh fruit, cheese and sliced ham is also popular.

The terms used to describe them can vary also. According "Food Lover's Companion" by Sharon Tyler Herbst, torta is the Italian word for "tart," "pie" or "cake," but in Spain, it means "cake," "loaf" or "sandwich." Although a torta can have many different fillings, a savory, egg-based filling is a traditional Easter dish. In Spain, a tortilla refers to a thin omelet-like dish, eaten not just for breakfast, but often at midday, or as tapas. A tart has a shallow-sided pastry crust with a sweet (fruit, sweet custard) or savory (meat, cheese or savory custard) filling and an open top and can be can be many different sizes. Quiches originated in Alsace-Lorraine in northeastern France, and consist of a pasty shell filled with a savory custard of eggs, cream, seasonings and various other ingredients, such as onions, mushrooms, ham, shellfish or herbs. Omelets -- a mixture of eggs, seasonings and sometimes water or milk -- are cooked in butter until firm, then filled or topped with various ingredients, such as cheese, ham, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sausage and herbs. Beating the whites and yolks separately and folding them together makes a fluffy omelet. It is cooked quickly over moderately high heat and, if folded, has a flat-sided, half-oval shape.

Frittata, an Italian omelet, usually has the ingredients mixed with the eggs rather than folded inside. It can be flipped, or the top can be finished under a broiler. A frittata is firmer than an omelet, because it's cooked slowly over low heat and comes out in the shape of the pan, because it isn't folded.

Nearly every region of the world eats eggs as an excellent source of protein. Eggs also have many functional properties -- binding other ingredients together is probably the most useful in this category, as well as giving structural integrity.

In the Mediterranean, I've found that the quality, color and taste of their eggs are different than what we are used to in the United States. The yolks are fresh and firm with luminescent golden-yellow color. When the eggs are very fresh, the yolks are perfect, round balls with a rich, creamy texture that compliments a variety of dishes.

A Spanish baked egg dish is topped with fresh eggs and surrounded by colorful garnishes, such as strips of red bell pepper, slices of serrano ham or even succulent capers and parsley. The eggs are baked on some cooked potatoes with a complimentary sauce. It looks very appealing and tastes even better. What a perfect way to round out a cup of fresh coffee in the morning.

Spanish tortillas are fantastic combinations of potatoes, garnishes and eggs. My favorite is the traditional tortilla Española, comprised of sautéed potatoes mixed with blended eggs and a touch of chopped onion. Cook in a covered pan until the bottom is caramelized to a golden brown and the eggs are soft or to desired doneness. Place under the broiler or cook from the top to assure that it is cooked enough for your taste. It is not unusual to leave it a bit moist. Flip out onto a platter to serve. Allow to set for a few minutes, then cut like a pie. This is excellent served with some sliced, sweet red bell peppers, capers and chopped parsley, and maybe even a slice or two of serrano ham.

Frittatas are an Italian specialty. When properly prepared, a frittata will puff up like a soufflé for a moment. Serve immediately for a light and fluffy presentation. The frittata is best when using a broiler to cook from the top.

Tarts and quiches are very similar egg products with an open-topped pastry base filled with a savory filling. A flaky base of pastry dough, layered phyllo dough, or puff pastry provides a flexible but versatile base selection. These bases can form the basis of a variety of delectable meals.

Product developers need to translate these classic concepts into marketable products. One way to articulate product characteristics and culinary attributes is by using BASICS(TM), which stands for balance, acid, salt, intended flavor and texture, color and sweetness. The concept provides a platform to evaluate or examine a formula and discussion between the product development team and a way to streamline the process.

For example, a BASICS approach to quiche Lorraine would involve the following factors. A balance of traditional ingredients, eggs, cream, bacon and Gruyère cheese, defines the dish. The dish has a low-acid taste. The saltiness comes from the bacon and the cheese, so a formula might not require added salt. The intended flavor and texture is a balance of cream and eggs with a custard-like flavor with a touch of bacon and an accent of Gruyère cheese. The texture is creamy with some crunchy particulates of bacon and soft particulates of cheese. The color of the golden brown crust borders a yellow-egg color with specks of bacon and cheese. A perfect and simple garnish, such as chopped flat-leaf parsley, tops the quiche. Sweetness comes from the cream.

In addition to the standards described, the following flavor profiles are delicious combinations of ingredients that also can be produced into other hand-held eating opportunities beyond the realm of standard plate-based tortas, tortillas, tarts, quiches, frittatas and omelets.

For example, imagine a frittata mixture of eggs, cream, roasted pumpkin, spinach and Parmesan in an egg-roll wrapper served with a home-style maple syrup. This option could prove popular at chain restaurants. Another possibility is a quiche with chopped, smoked salmon and capers in a phyllo triangle served with a sour cream cucumber dipping sauce. These flavors can be transferred into each category or new platforms, like egg rolls, phyllo cups, spring rolls or empanadas. The following flavor combinations make savory sense:

· Zucchini, prosciutto and Parmesan · Mushroom, caramelized red onion and parsley · Prawn, crab, scallion and cream cheese · Potato, leek and spinach · Tomato and bacon with Cheddar · Artichoke and provolone · Green peppercorn and Gruyre · Spicy yams and bacon with scallions · Blue cheese and parsnip with a touch of cumin · Salmon and dill with a splash of lemon · Asparagus and Parmesan with julienne red bell peppers · Caramelized beer onions with ham and Swiss · Traditional puttanesca ingredients: tomatoes, garlic and black olives · Ham and sweet corn with Cheddar · Taleggio cheese and fried shallots

These savory egg dishes are very versatile, practical, nutritious, enjoyable to eat, easy to store and simple to prepare. Try them with interchangeable flavor profiles to see how easy it is to prepare a delicious product. You are only limited by your imagination. Keep in mind that various flavor concepts and combinations of ingredients make savory sense. It is all about the flavor at the end of the day.

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