Simple egg dish for Easter brunch

Here is an idea for an egg dish for your Easter Sunday brunch. Karen and I have perfected this recipe over the years and found it to be widely popular and simple to assemble.

With your Easter Sunday brunch, a nice rosé sparkling wine or champagne is a nice choice. I recommend Laurent-Perrier Rosé Brut or Schramsberg Rosé. Also, a still wine of rosé is an excellent choice. Try something like a rosé of pinot noir such as Calara, from central coast, California or a rosé d'Anjou from France.

Easter Sunday is a great holiday for spending time with family and friends. Brunch can be an exciting way to experiment with many new dishes. The asparagus in the market today is excellent. I recommend grilling it for about 2 minutes, drizzle with Spanish extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper with a drizzle of sherry vinegar and top it with shaved dry cheese (parmesan or asiago are great choices).

The main thing is to have fun and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Easter Brunch Frittata

Serves 6 to 8 people

1 cup shredded (hash brown-style) yams or sweet potato (potato should be approximately 6- by-3 inches)

Note: Bake the potato first and let set for one day. Cook until about three-quarters done.)

1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow or white onion

1Ú2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

14 ounces of natural smoked bacon (sliced), chop into 3Ú4-inch pieces after cooking

16 large organic eggs

1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of spinach, washed and finely chopped

2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1Ú2 cup finely chopped parsley

1Ú4 cup panko bread crumbs (optional)

I use a 12-inch oval or round cassoulet style baking pan.

To prepare: The day before Easter, bake the potato. Cook until it is about three-quarters done. Set aside. On Easter morning, allow yourself one to one-and-a-half hours for preparation and cooking time before serving.

The next day, sauté the onions and sweet red peppers in the olive oil until the onions are slightly transparent, not dark. While they are sautéeing, cook off your bacon either by placing on a baking sheet pan and put in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or by placing in a skillet. Cook the bacon until it is crisp.

Drain the bacon fat but save approximately 1 tablespoon. Set aside.

When the onions and peppers are done drain the excess oil and liquid and set aside.

Next get your potato and peel and shred it using either a hand shredder or your food processor.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the entire interior surface of your pan with the bacon fat leaving a nice film. This will keep the eggs from sticking to the bottom and sides.

Briskly whisk the eggs, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste in a mixing bowl. Pour about one-third of this mixture into the bottom of the pan. Place in the oven and cook about 10 minutes; just long enough for the eggs to set slightly. Remove from the oven and place the chopped spinach on top of the eggs. Next, place the onion and peppers on top of the spinach and the chopped bacon on top of that.

DO NOT MIX TOGETHER - LAYER.

Place one cup of the shredded cheese on top of the bacon, add the rest of the eggs. This should come to almost the top of the pan.

Place in the oven and bake approximately 15 minutes. Again, remove it from the oven and add the rest of the cheese and the parsley.

At this time, if you so choose, add the panko bread crumbs. They will give the dish a nice, crunchy, outer layer.

Bake for about another 10 minutes. Test for doneness. The frittata should be firm in the middle and the eggs pulling slightly away from the sides of the pan.

When done, remove and let set for 10 minutes; serve.

-- Charlie Abowd is the owner and chef at Adele's. He and his wife, Karen, have lived in Carson City since 1980. Charlie is a fourth-generation restaurateur.