Tortilla Española, also known as Tortilla de Patatas (potatoes), is a Spanish omelet that is made from eggs, potatoes, onions and olive oil. It is the national dish that can be found in every tapas bar throughout the country and is made in every home. It can be eaten warm or cold, alone or in a sandwich, and at any time of the day. Once you’ve tried it, you will understand why a recipe consisting of such few ingredients can be so delicious, and why Spaniards can’t live without it.
Some purists prefer to leave out the onions and include just the basic ingredients of egg, potatoes and olive oil, but my abuela (grandmother) made it with onions, so that’s what I think tastes best. You can be the judge.
By the way, while the ingredients and preparation are fairly simple, the hardest part of the recipe is flipping the tortilla to cook it evenly on both sides. For novices don’t worry, it may take a few tries and some practice to get it right!
Ingredients:
- 2 large potatoes, peeled
- 1 whole medium yellow onion
- 6 large eggs
- About 1 ½ cups of olive oil for frying
- Salt to taste
Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. Then, with the flat side on the cutting surface, slice the potato in pieces approximately 1/8″ thick. Peel and chop the onion into 1/4″ pieces.
Using a 12” heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat 1 to 1½ cups of the olive oil (enough to almost cover the potatoes) on medium high heat. Drop some potatoes into the oil to ensure it is hot enough to fry. Once the potatoes begin cooking, add the onion to the pan and cook with the potatoes. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and onion are very tender, but not browned or fried. If you can poke a piece of potato with a spatula and it easily breaks in two, the potatoes are done.
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and let cool for about 5 minutes. You can place the potato and onion mixture in a colander for a few minutes to allow more oil to drain.
While the mixture is draining, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Add salt to taste. Pour the beaten eggs into the potato & onion mixture and mix together quickly with a spoon (so the hot potatoes do not begin to cook the egg mixture).
Pour 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil into a small, deep, non-stick frying pan (approx. 8”) and heat on medium heat. Be careful not to get the pan too hot because the oil will burn. When hot, stir the potato onion mixture once more and pour it into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges. Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly turned a golden brown on the bottom. The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.
When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Carefully take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate (12”) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will drop onto the plate. Now slide the omelet (which is still a bit runny) back into the frying pan, using a spatula to catch any egg mixture that runs out. Use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Let the omelet cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the bottom is a golden brown, like the top side.
When done, carefully slide the omelet onto a plate. Cut like a pie into 6-8 slices and serve either warm or at room temperature, with bread to accompany it. Buen provecho!
Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.
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