Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette)
Ingredients for 3 persons
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 kg potatoes
- 1 glass olive oil (1/4 litre)
- Salt to taste
Preparation: Peel, wash and slice the potatoes. The slices will be about 1cm thick. For best results, stand each potato on a chopping board and cut a thin slice along the long side of the potato making a flat side, then turn the potato on the board so that it lies on the flat side and cut the rest of the slices diagonally.
On a large pan, heat the oil on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and salt. Fry the potatoes on medium heat, turning frequently with a wooden spoon. Continue until the potatoes crumble easily when pressed with the edge of the spoon, about 20-30 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil and place on a strainer to let excess oil drain. Reserve the oil from the pan.
On a large bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Once well beaten, add the strained potatoes and mix well.
Add 2 teaspoons of the reserved oil to a large flat frying pan and place on a medium flame. There should be enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. When hot, add the potato and egg mix to the pan, quickly distribute the mix evenly on the pan and allow to set. To keep the omelette from sticking, move the pan’s handle in short, firm lateral bursts to try to get the contents to gently spin in the pan.
After 5-8 minutes the bottom half of the mix will have gained a firm consistency. It’s time to turn the omelette. This is very easy, it just requires decisive movements. Cover the pan completely with a flat lid or plate, wider than the pan. Hold the pan’s handle with one hand, keeping the cover in place with the other. In one continuous movement, push the pan up (to make sure contents are pushed towards the bottom), then turn quickly until the pan faces down and the omelette is resting on the plate/lid. Make sure to lightly press the lid against the pan as you turn it to prevent any spills. Finally, lift the pan, returning it to the flame and slide the omelette back in, soft side down.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes, using the handle to spin the omelette occasionally to prevent it from sticking. You can prick the centre of the omelette with a wooden skewer and check that it slides out clean to ensure the omelette is cooked throughout.
Slide the omelette onto a large plate and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Presentation: A tortilla, like a paella, is typically presented on a large plate at the centre of the table. When taken as a main, it is served like a cake, cut into wedges. A tortilla for 3 will normally be cut into 6 wedges. When eaten as tapas or appetiser, the whole tortilla is cut into cubes roughly as wide as the tortilla is deep. Diners will use a toothpick or a small fork to take single cubes from the centre, eating them straight away.
Cooking tip: There are many variations of the basic recipe. These are the best:
- Con cebolla: add 1 chopped onion to the potatoes before frying.
- Con guisantes: add some garden peas minutes before removing the potatoes from the oil
- A la española: eat the tortilla cold, cut in cubes, dipping each cube in a little mayonnaise
- Con chorizo: add thin slices/small cubes of chorizo to the potatoes half-way into their frying time
- Con jamón serrano: add a few thin slices of Serrano ham on top of the hot tortilla when serving. The ham warms up and releases an excellent aroma!
Tortilla is also served rellena (filled). A cold tortilla is sliced open by cutting horizontally along the centre. The top side is lifted, a filling added and the top replaced. Optionally, mayonnaise can be spread on top to imitate icing on a cake. Tortilla rellena can be made with fillings of:
- Atun: Mix good quality tuna steak in olive oil with 1-2 chopped tomatoes, olive oil, pepper and herbs
- Pimientos: Roast red peppers or use good tinned red peppers. Cut in long strips and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Optionally, replace the salt with a few finely chopped anchovies
- Roasted vegetables: Wash, peel, slice and roast at medium heat one of each: pepper, aubergine, onion, tomato, courgette – adding a sprinkle of salt and olive oil before roasting. Chop all vegetables coarsely, mixing with olive oil and pepper. Alternatively, use mayonnaise instead of oil in the mix
About this dish: Omelettes feature in Spanish culinary tradition for centuries before the arrival of potatoes from the New World. Potatoes were introduced in Europe from America through Spain. The first written account of potatoes date from 1516 but the Spanish only saw them during a 1532 exploration of Peru by Pizarro. It is believed that potato omelette was first prepared on the XVII or XVIII century, quickly succeeding in becoming embedded into Spanish cooking across the country. It’s success comes from its versatility: it is a dish that can be eaten hot or cold, a dish that can keep for a day or two even in Spain’s hot summer weather and a dish that is easy and cheap to prepare.
Still today, tortilla is available at every tapas bar in Spain, and it is at the centre of every Spaniard’s picnic basket and every Spanish family Sunday dinner.
Curiosity: Spain is divided along 2 camps: those that add onion to their omelette, and those that don’t. The rivalry is perhaps not as marked as that separating Barcelona and Real Madrid fans, but everyone in the country is clearly aligned with one or the other camp, and defections are very rare. As a result, most people will leave out the onion when having people over for dinner so as to avoid any non-onion guests having to leave their portion untouched.
This has nothing to do with the taste: people are rarely able to tell whether an omelette has or doesn’t have onion. It is just one of those things that make Spain different.
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