Tortilla Española
Spain's national dish: thinly sliced potato and onion poached gently in olive oil, then bound with eggs and cooked into a thick juicy round.
Overview
Potatoes slice thin and cook slowly in shallow olive oil with onions until soft, not fried, almost steamed in the oil. They drain (oil saved); fold into beaten eggs with salt; pour into a hot pan with a little of the saved oil; cook until the bottom is set; flip onto a plate and slide back to cook the other side. Centre should still wobble slightly when nudged.
Ingredients
- 600 g floury potatoes (peeled and sliced 3 mm thick)
- 1 onion (large, sliced thin)
- 300 ml olive oil
- 6 eggs (large)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- Black pepper
Method
Stage 1 - Cook the potatoes and onions
- Heat the oil in a 24 cm non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium heat.
- Add the potatoes and onion; the oil should just cover them. They should bubble gently - not fry.
- Cook 18-22 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the potatoes are completely soft (a slice should crush easily) but not coloured. Onions should be limp and translucent.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon into a colander; let drain. Save the oil.
Stage 2 - Combine
- Beat the eggs in a wide bowl with the salt and black pepper.
- Tip in the warm potatoes and onions; mix gently - don't break them up too much.
- Rest 5 minutes (lets the potatoes absorb some egg).
Stage 3 - First side
- Wipe the pan; put 2 tablespoons of the saved oil back in; heat over medium-high.
- Pour in the egg-and-potato mixture; spread evenly.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook 5-7 minutes - the bottom should set golden, the top still wet.
- Run a spatula around the edge to make sure nothing is stuck.
Stage 4 - Flip
- Slide a flat plate (larger than the pan) on top.
- Holding the plate firmly against the pan, flip the lot in one quick motion; the cooked side is now on top of the plate.
- Slide the tortilla back into the pan, raw side down.
- Tuck the edges under with a spatula to neaten.
Stage 5 - Second side
- Cook 4-6 more minutes for jugosa (still wobbly in the centre); 7-8 for fully cooked.
- Slide onto a clean plate.
Stage 6 - Rest and serve
- Rest 5 minutes before slicing - this lets the centre settle.
- Cut into wedges and eat warm or cold.
Notes
- Don't fry - confit: The potatoes should be soft, not crisp. Lower the heat if they start to brown; you want gentle cooking through and through.
- The flip: The most-feared step. Use a plate larger than the pan, hold it firmly, commit to the motion. A flip plate (plato volteador) makes it easy.
- Jugosa vs fully cooked: Spaniards split. Pull off the heat earlier for soft-set juicy centre; later for set-through. There is no wrong answer; just preference.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; arguably better the next day. Eats well at any temperature.
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