The Spanish Tortilla is one of the most famous recipes in Spain, with lot of variations. Usually we make the “Tortilla Española” with eggs, potatoes and olive oil, but sometimes we use also onions, peppers or even “chorizo” (red sausage), etc
Ingredients: 4 persons.
- 1kg. potatoes
- 1 big onion
- 6 medium sized eggs
- Salt
- Olive oil
- 20cm round non-stick frying pan
Preparation:
- Peel the potatoes and cut into medium slices. Same with the onion.
Sprinkle with salt and fry in hot olive oil until they begin to go golden (Potatoes are done when they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife)
The idea is to cook the potatoes until they’re tender inside yet soft and pale outside. If a few slices do get golden and crispy, it’s no big deal (actually, they’re delicious and quite tempting to eat), but remember that this isn’t the point, the potatoes shouldn’t get brown or crisp.
Add the onion to the pan when the potatoes are about halfway done
- Drain and set aside.
- Lightly beat the eggs with a little salt.
Mix with the potatoes and onion. Place a small amount of oil in the frying pan and heat.
Pour the mixture into the pan and cook on a low heat for approximately 5 – 10 minutes, or until you see it going golden. Do not overcook as it will dry up.
- When it is ready on one side, with the help of a plate of the top of a saucepan, turn it around and cook the other side (don’t forget to give the pan a good shake to confirm that the tortilla is loose. If it isn’t loose in the pan, help it along with a spatula. The eggs will be a little jiggly and wet in the centre, but the tortilla should slide around as a whole unit)
Find a flat plate that’s at least as wide as the pan and has no rim – in Spain, we have a special plate whose sole purpose is to flip tortillas. To do the flip, you’ll invert the tortilla onto the plate and then slide it back into the pan to finish cooking. Shake the pan to straighten the tortilla and use a spatula to gently tuck the edges back under, if needed.
Note – To prevent sticking, heat the skillet on high. In a hot pan, the eggs coagulate immediately, before they have time to fill the tiny pores in the pan and stick to it. It doesn’t matter how much oil you add to the pan — if it isn’t hot enough when the eggs go in, the tortilla won’t come out in one piece
- Return the pan to the heat and cook tortilla to your desired doneness, another 2 to 3 minutes if you like an ever-so-slightly loose centre (try it and see if you can go back), 3 to 4 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out dry, for full doneness.
- You can accompany it with bread and either all-i-oli (“alioli”), mayonnaise or even tomato sauce. You can also serve cold as an aperitif at any time or take on a picnic. There are many variations of the Spanish tortilla. I like to make it with potatoes and onions but it can also be prepared with onion only, or peppers, artichokes, courgette, aubergine, beans, asparagus, etc…
