Monday, March 14, 2011

tortilla espanola (spanish omelette)

I probably don't do this nearly as well as my brother-in-law does (he is from Valencia), but it's a great dish to make for Sunday brunch.  They taste delicious at room temperature, so they are easy to prepare ahead of time if you're cooking for a crowd.  The best part is that they store really well, and you can microwave them and eat leftovers as a quick weeknight dinner.

The original recipe calls for serrano ham, roasted red peppers, and parsley.  I think that all of these detract from the dish, and if you don't add the ham, it's good for vegetarians.  However, if you really like your eggs with meat, you can add the ham to the eggs when you whisk them. 

A few things: it is very helpful to have a SMALL frying pan.  I actually bought this one for this purpose.  The reason it's helpful is that you have to flip the tortilla out of the pan onto a plate, and it's great if the plate is larger than the pan.  You'll also need a larger pan for heating the potatoes and onions.

It also helps to have a mandoline, which I sadly do not own, only covet.

Serves about 4 people.

Ingredients:

- Good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 Spanish or white onion
- 6 eggs
- Salt and pepper
- 2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes
- Good quality crusty bread
- Mayonnaise
- Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Using a mandoline or, if you are like me, a knife, slice your potatoes and onions into very thin slices. 

2. Crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk them, adding a pinch of salt and some pepper to taste

3. Heat your frying pan (a larger one than your baby tortilla one) on low heat, and add a good amount of olive oil (coat the bottom of the pan generously).

4. Add the potatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the onions and a bit of salt, and cook for another 10-15 minutes until onions are soft and translucent and the potatoes are golden-brown and a bit crispy.

6. Remove the frying pan from the heat, and replace it with the tortilla pan.  Make sure the stove is on low heat. 

7. Transfer about half of your potato and onion mixture to the tortilla pan. 

8. Pour about half of your egg mixture into the tortilla pan.

9. Gently cook until the sides have started to set and the bottom has turned golden brown, about 4-6 minutes.

10. Loosen the tortilla with a spatula if needed, then place large plate upside-down over skillet.

11. Flip the skillet over so the tortilla lands uncooked side down on the plate.  Then carefully slide it back onto the skillet, uncooked side down. 

12. Return the skillet to the stove, and continue cooking until the tortilla has set in the center, about 4 minutes.

13. Slide the tortilla onto your serving plate.

14. Repeat steps 7 through 13 for the remaining tortilla. 

15. Slice and lightly toast the bread.

16. Slice the tomatoes into slices of medium thickness, and lightly drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

17. Once both tortillas have cooked, cut them into triangular wedges and serve with toasted crusty bread and tomatoes.  They taste excellent with mayonnaise (I also often add Jalapeno Tabasco!)

Modified from: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/tortilla-espanola-spanish-tortilla/Detail.aspx

No comments:

Post a Comment