This tortilla de patatas is the traditional Spanish Omelette that you would get in any authentic tapas bar in Spain. My recipe is inspired by the incredible tapas we ate at the Club Pollensa on our recent trip to Mallorca. The ingredients are as basic as they come; potatoes, onion, eggs and good quality extra virgin olive oil but when combined together in this simple dish they make the most glorious dish. I love it served room temperature with a salad but it’s also lovely for breakfast on a slice of rustic rye bread toast.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you’re worried about the amount of oil used, I agree, it’s quite a bit but it needs to be a good quality EVOO and you do drain most of it away once it’s cooked. Although to be honest I can’t make up any excuses. Just believe me, it’s worth it.
- 400g potatoes (I used 2 large Maris Piper) – peeled and chopped
- 1 large white onions (I used 3 medium banana shallots) – peeled and chopped
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 large free-range eggs
- salt and pepper
For the above ingredients I am using a 25cm Always Pan which has the most brilliant non-stick surface which is ideal for this recipe as it means you can use less oil. Any frying pan will do as long as it has a lid.
Heat the oil on medium and when it’s starting to reach a substantial warmth, turn down the heat to the very lowest and add the potatoes and onions and stew gently, partially covered, for roughly 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are softened and beginning to colour.
Carefully pour the potatoes and onions into a colander to drain over a large bowl and pour the oil back into the pan. Once drained, place the veg into the large bowl.
The Eggs
Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Pour them over the potatoes with plenty of salt and pepper and stir it all together. Let it sit a while whilst you re-heat the pan.
Tip everything into the pan and cook on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes without doing anything. Then use a spatula to shape the omelette into a cushion by softly pulling the edges in and slowly rotating the pan to flood the empty space.
When it’s almost set with a little liquid still visible, take the pan off the heat and leave for 4 mins to cool a little. Place a large dinner plate on top. Carefully flip the pan so that the tortilla is now on the plate. Slide it back into the pan and cook the underneath a few more minutes.
If you feel it needs it you can invert twice more, cooking the omelette briefly each time and pressing the edges to keep the cushion shape. Slide it back on to a plate and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
For more tortilla ideas check these out on Dom in the Kitchen.
Eat and of course, enjoy!
great looking recipe