Friday, June 10, 2011

Tortilla Espanola


Tortilla Espanola is, as some would say, "the food of my people."  It is probably not what you think about when you think about a tortilla.  You may be imagining a flour tortilla that you would roll a burrito in, but instead it is an egg potato and onion omelet that can be cut in slices like a pie.  It is unbelievably delicious!  It is also a pretty simple recipe to make, except for one stressful moment right in the middle.  The whole process will take about an hour.

1 onion
4 potatoes
5 or 6 eggs
salt
pepper
olive oil

1.   Thinly slice the potatoes into rounds using a mandoline and cook in a half inch of olive oil for about 15 minutes (until soft, but not browned), salting, and turning once.  Drain potatoes on a paper towel.  (If you want to save on fat and calories you can steam the potatoes until soft, but the tortilla is definitely more delicious if you fry the potatoes in oil.)

2.  Thinly slice the onion and cook in some olive oil until soft.

3.  Scramble the eggs in a bowl and add salt and pepper.

4.  Add the onions and potatoes to the egg mixture and mix to combine.

5.  Pour the mixture into a large hot frying pan with a bit of oil in it.  Slide a spatula around the edges and shake the pan a bit to make sure nothing is sticking.  Use a spatula to press down on the potatoes and make a nice even top on the tortilla.

6.  When the bottom of the tortilla is a nice golden brown you are ready to flip it.  Put a plate a little larger than the pan over the top of the pan, grab some potholders, take a deep breath, and flip the tortilla away from you, onto the plate.  Put the frying pan back on the stove and use the spatula to slide the tortilla off the plate and back into the pan to cook through the other side.  Keep running a spatula around the tortilla to make a nice clean round edges.  Once it is golden on the other side slide it out of the pan and onto a plate.

7.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Tortilla is delicious if eaten at room temperature or cold.