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Tortilla Española

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  • Prep 10 min
  • Total 60 min
  • Ingredients 5
  • Servings 8
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As a kid, two o’clock in the afternoon was my favorite time of day in Spain. That was when everyone’s mother was in the kitchen preparing ‘la comida’, the main meal of the day. The smells that would come from each home would make my mouth water. They were also a clue as to what they would be eating. Sniff, sniff – peppers roasting here. Sniff, sniff – fish frying there. But my favorite smell of all was the simplest: it was the smell of onions and potatoes frying in olive oil. It still is my favorite smell. Growing up at home I craved my mother’s tortilla española. It was the ultimate comfort food. Many people get confused with the name, because here in the U.S. we are used to associating the word tortilla with the bread made in many Central and South American countries. Likewise, sometimes people refer to the ‘tortilla española’ as the Spanish version of Italian frittata. But in truth it is nothing like either. So I present you with my recipe for “Tortilla Española! ¡Olé, olé and olé!
Updated Sep 14, 2015
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 1 large yellow or Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 3 large Idaho potatoes (or 6 small red potatoes) cut into half dollar sized pieces (or about 2 inches squared, and 1/2 inch thick)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 5 large eggs

Directions

  • 1
    In frying pan at medium flame pour 1/4 of the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the onions and potatoes and start frying them. Season them with the salt, about 3/4 of a teaspoon. Taste them to make sure you taste the salt.
  • 2
    Allow the potatoes to cook thoroughly. Now, here is the most important part of the whole frying process. As the potatoes cook, squash down the ends a little with your cooking utensil… but don’t mash them! You still need to see and bite through chunks of potato inside. When the potatoes and onions are done, transfer them to a large bowl and let them cool down a bit.
  • 3
    Beat the eggs and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  • 4
    Combine the eggs to the potatoes and onions. Mix well. All the potatoes should be covered, but not swimming in egg. There should be some extra egg at the top, so if the 5 eggs are not enough add another.
  • 5
    In another frying pan at low-medium flame add 1/4 cup of olive. When the olive oil is hot, pour the egg, potato and onion mixture into it, flatten it and DON’T TOUCH IT AGAIN. Let it cook.
  • 6
    Grab one large plate and place it over the pan. Hold it firmly in place with your hand (with the mitt on, carefully). Pick up the pan from the handle with your free hand, and flip the half cooked tortilla over onto the plate. This needs to be quick. Place the pan back on the stove, and gently slide the tortilla, uncooked side down, back into the pan. Now allow that side to cook, too.
  • 7
    When you feel that you can slide the tortilla a bit in the frying pan, it is ready to come out. Turn off the flame, take your second plate, and flip the tortilla onto the plate.
  • 8
    Enjoy!

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    The kind of potato you use matters. Pick one that is not too starchy, so that the tortilla will have a little bite to it.
  • tip 2
    Try to slice the potatoes into uniform slices, so that they all cook at the same time.
  • tip 3
    Don´t worry if you make a mess flipping the tortilla over the first time. It happens to all of us. Consider it your initiation into the world of Tortilla Española.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • As a kid, two o’clock in the afternoon was my favorite time of day in Spain. That was when everyone’s mother was in the kitchen preparing ‘la comida’, the main meal of the day. The smells that would come from each home would make my mouth water. They were also a clue as to what they would be eating. Sniff, sniff – peppers roasting here. Sniff, sniff – fish frying there. But my favorite smell of all was the simplest: it was the smell of onions and potatoes frying in olive oil. It still is my favorite smell. Growing up at home I craved my mother’s tortilla española. It was the ultimate comfort food. Many people get confused with the name, because here in the U.S. we are used to associating the word tortilla with the bread made in many Central and South American countries. Likewise, sometimes people refer to the ‘tortilla española’ as the Spanish version of Italian frittata. But in truth it is nothing like either. So I present you with my recipe for “Tortilla Española! ¡Olé, olé and olé!
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