Monday 24 June 2013

Tortilla de patata (Spanish omelette)

So what's so great about an omelette with potato in it? Exactly my thoughts before my first trip to
Spain.  It is an absolute prime example of how simple ingredients come together to make amazing dishes.  My first attempt tasted like egg and potato.  So I had a Spanish friend, Gorka, teach me the method behind making it so sweet.  It is a dish entirely dependent on simple technique. 

Ingredients:

Eggs
Chopped Potatoes (2cm pieces?)
Sliced Onions
Olive Oil
Salt

(Seriously that's it!)

Method:

Find a pan that is big enough and deep enough to make a nice thick omelette.  Half fill it with oil and add the potatoes and onions to the desired thickness of your omelette.  Add more oil if necessary to cover the potatoes.  Fry until potatoes are cooked.  In a separate bowl, whisk up the eggs (with a little salt) and add the fried potato and onion mix.  Get rid of most of the oil from the pan and add the egg, potato and onion mixture and cook until one side is done.  It is difficult to check that it is not burning so be careful! 

Turning it over:  A few options...  Flipping from one pan to another works best but this requires you having two of the same pan.  Sliding onto a plate and then flipping it over back into the pan is another good option.  Grilling the top works but it has a slightly different end product.  You decide. 

Gorka insists a little runny egg must remain for a good omelette but some people get a bit queasy about this.  If you are eating it hot, straight away with a fork, then I would recommend having it a little runny.  If it is to be served later like a slice of cake, cook it through a little more. 


Optional additions:

- Courgette
- Aubergine
- Red pepper
- Garlic
- Parsley

Do try the standard Tortilla De Patata first to really appreciate its simplicity.  Then you can work out what you would like in your next one.  Any vegetable that tastes great deep fried tends to work.  But only one or two of the additional ingredients are needed.  No need to over complicate.  Simply add to the potato/onion mixture before frying.