Tortilla Espanola


Here is an easy recipe to have up your sleeve when the cupboard is bare or your purse is feeling empty. Three ingredients, eggs, potatoes and olive oil, come together to make something satisfying and very tasty. You can make your tortilla in advance and serve it a room temperature. Perfect picnic food, cut into chunks or wedges, nothing can beat having a wedge of tortilla served al fresco.

Yield

serves 6-8

Preparation time

1 hour

Ingredients

500g potatoes, peeled and diced into medium sized chunks
6 large eggs
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Maldon Sea Salt

Directions

Rinse the potatoes in cold water and then lay them out on a clean tea cloth.  Dry thoroughly.  Select a large skillet and add a good layer of oil.  I tend to use a combination of sunflower oil and olive oil, but the traditional recipe will use only olive oil.  Get the oil hot in the skillet and then add the potatoes in a single layer.  Turn the heat down a bit and keep an eye on them, turning them every once in a while to get nice crunchy, evenly golden chunks of potatoes.  Try to avoid moving them around a lot as this will break the potatoes up.  You want nice chunks in the final tortilla.  When the potatoes are completely cooked through, use a slotted spoon and place the potatoes on a baking tray that has been lined with paper towels.  This will absorb some of the excess oil.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt. 

Break the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork.  Add the potatoes,a  little more salt and pepper.  Discard the oil left in the skillet and then use a paper towel to wipe out the pan, removing any little crusty bits.  These are likely to burn if left in the pan.  Add a few glugs of olive oil into the skillet and heat through.  Add the potato and egg mixture.  Turn the heat down to low and allow the tortilla to cook through.  Every once in awhile give it a little jiggle.  When the tortilla looks set, which can take about 20 minutes, place a clean plate over the skillet and flip the tortilla out.  Place it back in the skillet, adding a little more oil if necessary and cook for a few more minutes.  Remove from the heat and flip back onto a clean plate.  You can serve this hot, warm or at room temperature, cut into chunks or wedges. 

 

Notes