Spanish Tortilla
I remember arriving in Spain from France via bicycle in the middle of the afternoon - at "siesta" and not understanding that siesta means that everything is closed. I knew that it meant "nap" but didn't realize that it meant the entire country took a nap. It was like a bomb had gone off.
We were towards the end of our month-long bicycle trip and had just crossed from Biaritz into San Sebastián and we were very hungry.
And after looking at the posted hours on the closed restaurants, we eventually figured it out.
And once everything re-opened, we also realized that our Spanish sucked.
I came across “tortilla con queso” on the menu. “Je voudrais une tortilla con queso,” I said proudly.
When the cheese omelette arrived, I quickly understood that Mexican Spanish and Spain Spanish were two different ilks.
Alors, my #pandemic2020cooking has lately taken inspiration from the NYT’s cooking app.
Here’s the recipe for a Spanish tortilla (from Mark Bittman)
"The Spanish tortilla has nothing in common with the Mexican variety except its shape and its name. One is just a bread. The other can be an appetizer, a snack, or even a light meal. But the Spanish tortilla has another advantage: because it is better at room temperature than it is hot, it should be made in advance, anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. In its most basic form, the tortilla is a potato and egg open-faced omelet that derives most of its flavor from olive oil. Onions or scallions can replace the potato in part or entirely, as can cooked greens like chard. The only hard part is turning the partly formed tortilla, so do it swiftly and carefully (using a nonstick skillet makes it much easier). The worst that will happen is that a little potato and egg will be left behind when you return the cake to the skillet. If you can't bring yourself to risk the flip, just slide the pan into a 375-degree oven until the eggs are completely set, but not overcooked"
Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3 main-course or 6 appetizer servings
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8849-spanish-tortilla
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 pounds potatoes, 3 or 4 medium
1 medium onion
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 extra-large or jumbo eggs
RK Modification: I never risk the flip. And I add (to the oil) a bit of very dry chorizo and finish (under the broiler)
with a good pile of parsley and a dusting of grated hard cheese like pecorino.
Step 1
Peel and thinly slice potatoes and onions; it's easiest if you use a mandoline. Meanwhile, heat oil in an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. After 3 or 4 minutes, drop in a potato slice. When tiny bubbles appear around its edges, add potatoes, onions, a good pinch of salt and a liberal sprinkling of pepper. Gently turn mixture in oil with a wooden spoon, and adjust heat so oil bubbles lazily.
Step 2
Cook, turning potatoes gently every few minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a small knife. Adjust the heat so they do not brown. If potatoes begin to break, they are overdone; stop cooking immediately. As potatoes cook, beat eggs with some salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Step 3
Drain potatoes in a colander, reserving oil. Wipe out skillet, and heat over a medium flame for a minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Gently mix warm potatoes with eggs, and add to skillet. As soon as edges firm up, after a minute or so, reduce heat to medium-low. (I peel up the edges and Tilt the pan to let the liquid egg from the top move to the bottom.) Cook 5 minutes.
Step 4 (if you want to risk the flip)
Insert a rubber spatula all around edges of tortilla to make sure it will slide from pan. The top will still be runny. Carefully slide out onto a plate. Cover with another plate, and holding plates tightly, invert them. Add another tablespoon oil to skillet, and use the spatula to coax tortilla back in. Cook 5 minutes, then slide from skillet onto a clean plate. Serve warm (not hot), or at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Step 5 - take a picture of your creation and post in the comments below...
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