.....well, it's really an Asparagus Popover but it looks more like a fritatta to me. I feel like a popover should have a thicker crust but that's just my opinion. Maybe if I made this in a slightly bigger pan there would have been more extension of the crust, but it's water under the bridge at this point.
We could call it a Po-tatta? No? Either way it doesn't matter, it was good. It calls for gruyere cheese. Anything with gruyere is pretty much fine by me. I'm easy to please. The recipe does say you can substitute Swiss for the gruyere but really, why would you? It's not going to be the same.
This is a great brunch item. Simple to make, easy to find ingredients. I suppose you could have it for dinner too. It would be fabulous with a salad and a glass of wine.
Asparagus Popover (Disguised as a fritatta)
Adapted from Rachael Ray
1 pound asparagus
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
Pinch sugar
3 ounces (1 cup) gruyere cheese, shredded
In a medium saucepan add enough salted water to reach a depth of 2 inches; bring to a boil. Add the asparagus (ends cut off the bottom) and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut the spears lengthwise and then into thirds. You could also just cut them crosswise into thirds. Your choice.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. In a medium-sized cast-iron skillet, add butter. Place the skillet in the oven to melt the butter.
In a medium bowl, microwave milk on high for 30 seconds. Whisk in eggs, then flour, salt, pepper and sugar.
Add the asparagus pieces to the hot cast-iron skillet and pour the batter on top. Sprinkle with half the cheese and bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18-22 minutes. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese.
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.