Spanish Tortilla

Photo credit: StockFood

There’s a certain magic to a food that’s as good at breakfast as it is as lunch as it is at dinner. That’s tortilla for you. Not the flour- or corn-based type you pull, cold, out of a plastic bag, and then heat, and then fill with toppings you’ve cooked separately. (Not that we have anything against those.)

Spanish tortilla is beautiful in its simplicity: oil, potatoes, onions, eggs, salt. All you do is a bit of chopping, and sautéing, and seasoning, and sitting around with your glass of wine (we go for sparkling while it’s cooking, and white Rioja when it’s ready to eat).

Get the veg going right when you walk in the door, and rely only on one skillet. There’s not even a need to turn on the oven. Toss some greens with vinegar and oil, and call it a meal.

The tortilla will look golden when it’s ready; a flurry of Maldon salt, which will melt a bit as it cools, adds texture and sparkle. It’s what we all need from our weeknights.

Spanish Tortilla

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Note: Tortilla keeps, covered and chilled, for two days.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oil

2 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice

2 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 tablespoon coarse salt

10 large eggs

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, potatoes, and half of salt. Cook over moderate to low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender but not colored, about 45 minutes. Drain mixture in a large colander set over a bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Gently stir in vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

2. Return 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and add mixture, pressing potatoes flush with eggs. Cook over low heat while covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until almost set. Turn off the heat. Let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Shake skillet gently to make sure tortilla is set on bottom and not sticking. Invert tortilla onto a large flat plate and slide back into skillet, bottom side up. (Alternatively, especially if top is still loose at this point, slide tortilla on to plate first. Cover it with skillet and invert tortilla back into skillet.) Use a rubber spatula to loosen edges and cook over low heat, covered, 15 minutes more, or until set. Slide tortilla onto a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature.