Tortilla Espanola or Tortilla de Patatas
Spain is famous for its potato omelets. Tortilla de patatas can be full of extras — like green pepper and bacon in this case. And you know what? I just noticed that my husband, who has a love-hate relationship with butter, slipped a dab atop his portion.
When my husband and I need a fast meal and there’s not much food in the fridge, we often make a Spanish potato omelet, or tortilla Espanola. It’s totally different from a French omelet or from Mexican tortillas, and you can serve it either hot or cold.
One legend says the Spanish omelet was invented by a peasant for a hungry king, and it has been around for more than 400 years; another says a general during the Carlist Wars in the 19th century dropped into a peasant’s home and demanded a meal. The poor farmwife only had potatoes, onions and eggs, so she invented tortilla de patatas on the spot and, happily, the general was pleased.
If you go to Spain, you’ll find tortilla Espanola served as tapas. The tortilla is a dense, moist cake of egg and though it contains potatoes, you can throw in onions and bacon if you wish. There are only two rules, according to Pepita Aris in “Recipes from a Spanish Village”: The contents must not greatly exceed the volume of eggs and the additions must not drip, either with sauce or oil. I suspect our version has broken the first rule from time to time.
We tend to make it up as we go along. Who could resist throwing in some bacon? We’ve added green pepper and topped it with tomatoes and cheese after baking. You can serve it with either white or red wine, but avoid sweet wines. And we’ve had our best successes using a cast iron pan that’s about 9 inches in diameter. Here’s the basic plan.
Tortilla de Patatas (serves 4)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
6 eggs
Sea salt
Pepper
Peel and wash the potatoes. Heat the olive oil, then add the potatoes and sir them so they are coated with oil. You can add onions, too. If you are using bacon, put it in the microwave and cook until its about half done, according to your tastes.
Reduce the heat; let the potatoes cook through until they are soft; using a slotted spoon, remove them to a bowl.
Beat the eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes, onions, green pepper or whatever to the mixture. Some people cook it on one side, then flip the omelet over. We haven’t been able to do that very well, so we usually stick the pan in the oven and let it finish by baking it at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. We monitor it closely so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Sometimes we sprinkle cheese on top or add fresh tomatoes as a garnish. Pour some wine and relish the ease with which you put dinner on the table.
Cheers!
Janet Cleaveland
What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 52 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.