Tortilla Española | Recipe Swap

It’s recipe swap time and this weekend I have Tortilla Española on my plate! This recipe was gifted by Carmen of Tía Alia for a food collab and I’m honored to have an authentic recipe for this Spanish national dish. Thank you Carmen so much!

Tortilla y Tapas for the Weekend

I haven’t cooked a homemade Spanish omelet for years and to me, tortilla de patatas do not exist without manchego on the side. Yes, that’s me: a nerd for the classics. And I confess without any shame – when I have an excuse to enjoy cheese, I will buy cheese. This time I took home double treat as I bought not only manchego but also Dutch goat’s cheese.

However, cheese on the side was not enough. I also felt like capers, olives, and Jamón Serrano. Homegrown tomatoes are still plenty in our greenhouse and I sautéed two handfuls generously with thyme (my favorite herb). Tortilla y tapas it was and Carmen’s recipe fed two hungry gardeners on a windy autumn weekend. 

Tortilla Española à la Carmen | Recipe

Tortilla Española à la Carmen

Print recipe

Makes/Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 min Cooking time: 45 min 45 min

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 kilo of potatoes
• 225 grams of onion
• 4 large eggs
• Pinch of Salt
• Mild olive oil (about 200 ml)

METHOD

Peel, wash, and cut the potato into slices approximately 1/2 cm thick. Peel and cut the onion into strips (julienne type but thicker). Mix the onion with the potato and salt.

Heat the oil in a wide-based skillet. Once hot, add the potato-onion mix. Fry over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Finally, remove the potato mix from the pan. Drain well and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a deep, wide bowl. Add the potato and onion mixture and add more salt. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, in this way all the ingredients are well integrated.

Grease the base and sides of a frying pan (24 cm in diameter). Heat it hot and add the omelet mixture. Cook the base for 3 minutes over medium heat.

Turn the omelet with the help of a plate (placing it on the pan as a lid). Oil the pan again before sliding the tortilla over it to cook the other part. Cook another 3 minutes at the same temperature.

 

NOTES

To make the omelet even juicier, add couple of spoonfuls of milk into the egg batter. Also, by adding yeast, you can build more volume for the tortilla.

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How to flip an omelet?

Now about the execution. Firstly, I was a bit nervous making a Spanish omelette since it’s been a while. Five years? Eight years? What if my flip techniquefails me?

I chose my “two pan technique” in which I stew the potato slices and onions on a larger frying pan (the slices cook more evenly) and then cook the rested egg-potato mixture on a smaller skillet (the omelet has a higher profile). I cooked the omelet on our smallest cast-iron skillet (20,5 cm) on a wooden stove. Check here on Omar Allibhoy’s proper omelet cooking skills on Youtube.

Moreover on the process, I only had so little time for this photoshoot because of our busy fall garden schedule and a hungry husband. But alas, my secondhand cheese bell came to rescue! I was able to keep the omelet warm. While I took a moment to photograph my portion, hubby was able to enjoy his lunch on his own. 

I like my Spanish omelet well done and sweet. Hence, I was happy that Carmen’s recipe included onions!  However, I have to critique myself for not flipping the omelet sooner – if the omelet had been runnier at this stage, I could have designed the sides with a spatula but now they followed the skillet edges. Not a biggie, practice makes perfect! Once enjoying this easy salty and sweet lunch again, I cannot but wonder why it’s been so long since the last time.

Love, Saara