Recipe: Broccoli Francese

Butter, bacon, cheese and eggs. These are just four ingredients that make everything taste better for a lot of eaters. Eaten in excess, these foods aren’t the healthiest choice, but in this current COVID-19 environment, a bit of added comfort is good in my book.

This week’s recipe is for all the readers who like to say, “Put an egg on it.” In this case, we’re putting half a dozen eggs on it. The “it,” though, is a mess of nutritious vegetables.

Broccoli is the featured green ingredient in this recipe published in Lucinda Scala Quinn's cookbook "Mad Hungry Family: 120 Essential Recipes to Feed the Whole Crew" (Artisan Books, 2016).

Broccoli Francese is just an enhanced omelet. But it’s a large enhanced omelet; the fun and dexterity required to flip it remind me of that needed to turn a Spanish egg and potato omelet.

The day I prepared this recipe, I didn’t have a head of broccoli. But green substitutions are many; asparagus, fresh spinach and Swiss chard all work.

One cooking pointer: You may need to lower the heat slightly as the eggs cook. You don’t want the edges to burn while the center is still cooking through. Use a spatula to periodically check the undersides of the edges and keep them from sticking to the side of the pan.

Served with a salad and crusty bread, the dish makes for a filling lunch or light dinner. Enjoy it solo as a midmorning snack. Cold, room temperature or hot? Your call, just like when you opt for the egg on top.