As I type this post, it is after 2 hours of making 3 of the best tortillas Españoles I have made to date. Some of you are not aware of this amazing dish from Spain; let me explain.
They consist of eggs, potatoes, olive oil, and salt. The optional component is onion. From my research, onion is very controversial, therefore, as I am partial to a bit of controversy, now and then, we use onion. And lots of it.
Here I am cooking 3 medium, peeled, white potatoes, cut to about, 0.5 cm. thick, and 1 whole, white onion, cut very thinly. There is 1 tsp. Olive oil in the pan, and it is on the lowest setting the element can handle. I put 1/2 tsp. salt on the top, added 2 tbs. water, covered, and let cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir gently, (fold really), so nothing sticks, or darkens, but you do not break up the potatoes. Cover. Cook another 10 minutes, then fold again. Do this until, when pierced with a fork, the potatoes are tender. (Here, it takes almost 30 minutes, because of the altitude; up North, probably 20 minutes). When the potatoes are getting close to tender, beat 5-7 eggs, depending on their size- (here the eggs are small, so we needed to use 7), in a large mixing bowl until frothy. When the potatoes are done, set them aside, uncovered, to cool for several minutes. (Meanwhile, you can clean up the mess you made peeling the potatoes, and slicing the onions. Do the dishes you have dirtied, through out the peels, etc.; you get the idea).
Next, when the potatoes are done, and cool, and the eggs beaten, add the potatoes, and onions, to the beaten eggs, and mix them thoroughly, but gently, covering all of the potatoes with the eggs- no potatoes should be allowed to stick together. Let this sit, for a few minutes, while you reheat the frying pan. Put another teaspoon of Olive oil in the frying pan, and gently add the potato and egg mixture, making sure that all of the potatoes are covered with egg. (Everything is done slowly, and gently. Nothing is rushed in this dish, or it will not turn out well in the end.)
Cover the frying pan, again, and allow the tortilla to cook until the top of the tortilla is almost completely set. Take a silicone spatula and move the whole thing away from the edges. How? Gently!! You want the tortilla to be mobile at this point. If the tortilla moves in the opposite direction when you twist and turn the pan, in opposite directions, you are in good shape. Cover again.
When the tortilla is almost completely set, place a serving plate, somewhat larger than the frying pan, over the frying pan, place an oven mitt over the serving plate, take it over the sink, and flip the daggone thing over. With a bit of luck, then skill, the tortilla will be almost completely cooked, and ready to be placed back in the skillet to finish cooking. So do it. After another 5-7 minutes, depending on how done it was on the first side, slide it onto your serving plate/platter, and put it to the side to cool.
When allowed to cool completely, serve at room temperature with any sides you like. Here we serve it as is, and with chorizo, and salsa, on the side. The top, on the left, have mushroom, and the top right, has spinach. The last one, bottom right, is in the classic form
There are many forms of this “breakfast omelet”, breakfast tortilla, or Tortilla Español. This is how we make it, and enjoy it, a few times a year. Tonight, I made Tortillas Españoles- one with mushrooms, one with chard (here it is more spinach than chard), and one in the classic form. We will enjoy them tomorrow morning with strong coffee. Try it sometime- tortillas Españoles.