Frittata di Funghi Porcini

A frittata is not a French omelet. It does not fold. It does not run. It cooks slowly, patiently, until the bottom sets golden and the top remains barely trembling. Then you finish it, either under heat or by the slide-and-flip method that requires confidence and a prayer.

Porcini are the king of mushrooms in Italy, and they appear here in their most honest form: sliced, sautéed in butter until their edges crisp, then suspended in eggs that cook around them like amber preserving a treasure. The earthiness of porcini is profound. It needs nothing else, no competing vegetables, no distracting herbs beyond parsley.

If you have fresh porcini, which appear in autumn and cost accordingly, use them with gratitude. If you have dried porcini, which are actually more concentrated in flavor, soak them properly and use both the mushrooms and their soaking liquid. What you cannot do is substitute cremini or button mushrooms and call this a porcini frittata. That would be a lie on the plate.