Spanish Tortilla
Thinly sliced potato and onion, slowly softened in olive oil and bound in beaten egg, set into a classic thick Spanish omelet. Just four ingredients, endlessly satisfying.
- 13 oz potato (or, while not traditional, rutabaga/swede — if substituting, use slightly more by weight)
- 1 small-medium onion
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Peel the potato and onion. Cut the potato into relatively thin discs — the easiest approach is to first cut it into chunks roughly 1 inch square, then slice those chunks into pieces about 3mm thick. Peel and dice the onion.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced potato and diced onion. Cook for around 20 minutes, stirring regularly to move the bottom pieces up to the top, which helps everything cook evenly without browning. The potato is ready once it's soft enough that a knife slides in with no resistance.
- Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked potato and onion to the eggs and mix everything through, making sure the vegetables are evenly coated and distributed.
- Add a little more oil to the skillet if it looks dry, then pour in the egg mixture and cook over medium-low heat until you can see it's set around the edges and fairly firm in the middle. Heat the broiler, then place the pan underneath until the top is fully set — you're not looking to brown it significantly, just to finish setting the egg through.
- Let the tortilla rest for a few minutes before loosening it from the edges of the pan with a spatula. Place a plate over the top of the pan and carefully invert the tortilla onto it. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges or cubes.
Chef's Note: The patience required in the first step is what makes or breaks a Spanish tortilla — the potato and onion need to cook slowly enough to turn fully soft and almost custardy without picking up any browning, since color at this stage signals the wrong texture for the finished dish. Resist the temptation to turn up the heat to speed things along.
Traditionalists invert the tortilla using a plate and a confident flip rather than finishing it under the broiler, but the broiler method used here is far more forgiving for a first attempt and produces an equally good result. Spanish tortilla is, famously, even better the next day once it's had time to fully set and the flavors have settled — it's a genuinely excellent make-ahead dish, served simply at room temperature as a tapa, or alongside crusty bread for something more substantial.
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