Tortilla is a potato based omelette. In traditional Spanish cuisine, it is often served at room temperature as a tapa. During a recent visit to Madrid, I had the pleasure of learning how to cook this classic Spanish dish from my dear friend Clara. She was kind enough to share her family's tortilla recipe with me so that I can share it with the Internet. I am sure this family secret is safe with you ;-).
INGREDIENTS
500g potatoes
7 eggs
1 big onion
Plenty of olive oil
Salt
Spanish tortilla is a simple gem that only requires three base ingredients. Potatoes, eggs, and onion. Depending on which Spaniard you ask, the addition of onions is actually somewhat controversial. However, Clara has a clear opinion on that one: “The more onion, the better. Period!”
PREPERATION
Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into thin slices. Afterwards, also dice the onion into little pieces. Heat up plenty of olive oil in a pan and add the potatoes and onions to it. You want everything to be covered in olive oil.
Cover the pan and occasional stir the ingredients. Cook with moderate temperature until the potatoes are tender. This will take about 20min. You will know they are ready when they can be easily broken with your cooking spoon.
Carefully drain the oil from the pan into a bowl. Do it slowly (or use a strainer), so you don't drop any potatoes. You can keep the olive oil in a jar and use it next time you make tortilla. Let the potatoes rest while you prepare the eggs.
Crack the eggs into a big bowl and scramble them until they develop foam. Blend the potatoes into the scrambled eggs and give it a good stir. Add some salt to the mix.
In the meanwhile, heat up the pan again and pour the potato egg mixture in it. Slowly fry the tortilla for a couple of minutes until almost no liquid is left. Use your cooking spoon to cautiously remove the tortilla from the side of the pan. Do various circles around the pan while the tortilla is being fried.
Once the eggs are almost cooked, place a plate on top of the pan. Lift it both off the stove and invert it by 180 degrees. If it went well, the whole tortilla should be on the plate now. Slip the mixture back into the pan and cook the other side briefly for some more minutes. Serve the tortilla warm or wait until it cools down.
¡Buen provecho!
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