Spanish Tortilla
A Spanish tortilla is like a thick potato omelette. It's very savory and delicious and difficult to eat only one slice.
This Spanish tortilla is easy to make but needs some time to develop great flavour and texture. Don't try to rush it otherwise you will end up with hard oily potatoes. Your reward will be a delicious treat that can be eaten for breakfast with pan con tomate (toasted bread smeared with crushed tomato) or as part of a lunch or dinner. It's even better the next day!
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 600 g potatoes sliced about 3-4mm thick
- 200 ml olive oil
- 4 medium eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste (remember you are seasoning potatoes which need more salt than you think)
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium thick-bottomed frying pan and gently fry the onions until they have softened. Try not to let them catch too much. Remove the onions from the frying pan when soft.
Put your sliced potatoes in a bowl and add the remainder of the olive oil. Stir making sure each slice is coated well.
Potato slices have a tendency to stick together so make sure each piece is seperated.Add the oiled potatoes and all of the oil to the frying pan and put on a low heat (on an electric stovetop with a maximum level of 9, I use 3 or 4)
Very gently simmer the potatoes in the oil until every piece is soft. This will take a long time and the potatoes will need to be turned regularly. Be careful of potatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan, and be careful of the odd piece somehow not getting cooked enough. Don't worry about some of the potato breaking down - it is better than undercooked potato.
When you feel the potatoes are cooked use a skewer to test each piece. If you find any pieces that feel even a little hard keep cooking.
Do a final check for doneness and then remove the pan from the heat. Drain the potatoes into a bowl making sure to reserve the oil which comes out. Leave to sit draining for about 15 minutes.
While your potatoes are draining whisk 4 eggs in a bowl with plenty of salt and pepper. This is the only opportunity to season the dish so add as much salt as you think you will need.
Once the potatoes have drained and cooled add the onions and mix. Add the eggs and stir making sure the potatoes are coated in the egg.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat (I used level 5) and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved olive oil.
Add all of the potato and egg mixture and shake the pan to achieve an even layer. Cook gently for about 10-15 minutes. Use a spatula to check that the base is cooking well and not burning.
Once the base is done it is time to flip the tortilla. The top can still be runny but the base should be browned. Use a plate to flip the tortilla back into the frying pan. Use a spatula to tuck the edges of the tortilla into place.
Cook for a further five minutes until the tortilla is cooked through. You can check for doneness with a skewer. Pierce the tortilla with a skewer - if the bottom of the skewer is clean and hot to the touch it is done.
Transfer the tortilla to a serving plate and leave to cool. The tortilla is best served at room temperature.