If your idea of tortilla is a thin unleavened wheat or flour bread, used widely in Mexican cuisine, then this dish may come as a shock to you. Potatoes married to eggs, fried in the best olive oil you can get your hands on – a quintessential Spanish dish.
Flipping the tortilla is most definitely an acquired skill. Trying to maneuver almost a kilogram and a half of hot potato-egg mixture through a 180-degree turn, with hot oil dripping out around the edges – my first try wasn’t pretty. A nonstick pan helps, as does strong wrists.
Peel and dice or slice very thin:
1 kg potatoes
Heat in a frying pan until not quite smoking hot:
50 ml olive oil
Add the potatoes and, if you like:
45 ml chopped onion (optional)
Stir them into the oil to completely coat and seal them, then reduce the heat slightly and continue frying without letting the potatoes brown, stirring frequently. With the edge of a spatula or skimmer, keep cutting into the potatoes, dicing them as they cook. They are quite tender (about 15 minutes) place a plate over the frying pan and drain off the oil into a heat-proof container. Place the potatoes in a bowl.
Beat together:
4-5 eggs
2.5 ml salt
5 ml baking powder (optional)
Stir into the potatoes the eggs and any of the following you want:
100 g diced ham
100 g small shrimp
3-5 spears asparagus, snapped and then chopped into 2-cm lengths
½ green pepper, diced
Return the oil to the frying pan and heat it to a medium-high temperature, not so hot as before. Now pour in the egg and potato mixture. Let it set on the bottom, regulating the heat so it doesn’t brown too fast. Use the spatula to firm the edges of the tortilla all around its circumference. Shake the pan frequently to keep it loose on the bottom.
Place the plate over the pan, drain off the oil and turn the tortilla out on to the plate. Return the oil to the pan, adding a little more if necessary and slide the tortilla back in to cook on the reverse side. Remove the tortilla when it is golden by sliding out on to a serving plate.
Serves two as a main dish or four to six as an appetizer or first course. Serve with a garnish of salad or vegetables, fried chorizo or ham and a tomato sauce or ketchup.