Spanish Omelet (based roughly on Ferran Adria's recipe for el Bulli)

Tortilla Espanola is an inexpensive, delicious dinner choice. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days. Served with a side salad, good bread and a bottle of wine, a Tortilla is an easy and impressive option for entertaining. (I originally posted this in November, but took pictures today while preparing them for fund raising lunch #2).


Ingredients:

Potatoes (about 3 large ones or 2 lbs of baby potatoes)
2 Large Onions
1 Dozen Eggs
Oil (olive, canola, vegetable...olive oil gives the best taste but all are fine to use).
Salt & Pepper

Rinse/scrub potatoes and onions clean under running water. I do this BEFORE cutting into them to practice good food safety (this should appeal to my fellow hypochondriacs).

Peel potatoes and cut into small rectangles, about 1/4 inch thick. Peel onion and cut in half, slicing along the layers so that you have long, thin onion strands.


Using a large skillet, heat about 1/3 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, using a pancake spatula to prevent any potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to medium/medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just about tender. Add onions to pan and cook until they are soft, about 5-8 minutes, turning mixture occasionally to prevent sticking.


Strain onion/potato mixture in colander over clean saute pan (reserving leftover oil).

While potatoes/onions are cooling, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add pepper and salt (I always err on the side of too little, as these can be added to the cooked tortilla). Whisk eggs vigorously for a minute.



When potato/onion mixture is warm but not HOT, add to eggs and stir.

Heat pan with reserved oil over medium-high heat (add more if the pan bottom is not liberally covered). Pour egg/potato/onion mixture into pan, flattening mixture with a spatula. Turn heat down to medium-low. Use spatula to loosen tortilla from pan every couple of minutes until eggs are almost set. They will still look a bit runny on top.



Carefully slide tortilla onto large round serving plate. With oven-mitts (and perhaps the help of a friend), place pan on top of the plated tortilla. Hold both pan and plate on each side and flip upside-down so that the undercooked eggs are now on the bottom of the pan.

Turn heat up to medium and cook for a few more minutes, loosening bottom with spatula, until lightly golden.


Slide onto clean serving plate.

*Vegetables and meat can be added to the tortilla. Mushrooms, bell peppers and chopped cooked Chorizo complement the flavors nicely!