If you haven’t tried Tortilla Española you don’t know what you are missing! This incredibly tasty dish is made with very simple ingredients. It is also easy to make if you follow few important rules. Read on to find out how to prepare this delicious Spanish recipe which will impress your whole family!
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What kind of dish is that
Tortilla Española a.k.a. Tortilla de Patatas is completely different from the Mexican bread tortillas. It is a dish similar to a omelette but it also contains potatoes and onion. In fact I find it much tastier than regular omelette as the added vegetables bring an additional flavour and make it more like a meal. Yes, Tortilla Española is a real good food!
What ingredients you need
The dish consists of potatoes, eggs, onion, some olive oil and salt. It is so, so simple! Yet if you never tried it, you may be underestimating it, as I did for years. But it is the perfect comfort food which you can cook in about 30 minutes from scratch.
Recipe variations
I went through several Spanish websites and videos, trying to find the best authentic tortilla. Some of the recipes I found called for a lot of oil and practically the potatoes and the onion were deep fried first, before the eggs were added. I didn’t really like this method but then I found this video Tortilla Española Tradicional and adapted the method from there.
🍳 Tips for a perfect result
- One very important moment is to cut the potatoes really thinly. That will help them get cooked perfectly well. If you cut them in thick slices or you dice them, chances are your potatoes won’t soften easily.
- I prefer extra virgin olive oil for this recipe as it is healthy and has a nice flavour. It is also very typical for all mediterranean countries, including Spain.
- It is good to caramelise the potatoes and the onions a little bit, before adding the eggs. So don’t bother mixing all the time. You can stir just from time to time and make sure they don’t get burned.
- The most difficult thing of the whole tortilla preparation is inverting it in the pan. In order to do that, you need a plate that is slightly larger than the frying pan you are using. Before starting to cook, make sure you choose the pan and the plate accordingly, otherwise you will have issues to invert it. If I have to be honest, the first time I cooked Tortilla Española I made a big mess on the stove, simply because I didn’t consider the plate I was using.
To invert the tortilla, you need also a kitchen glove. Here is how to do it:
- Place the plate upside down on top of the pan, to cover it completely.
- Invert the pan and the plate very quickly, holding the plate with your hand in a kitchen glove: this might be challenging as the tortilla is kind of heavy.
- Now the plate will be under the pan and the tortilla will be on the plate.
- Invert just the pan to be again with the bottom down. Holding the plate with the glove, transfer the tortilla back to the pan to cook on the other side.
That’s it. If you make a little mess the first time, don’t be discouraged. You will get better the second time.
I am sure you will love this traditional Spanish recipe as it is so good! Let me know in the comments if you’ve made it!
Check out also Arroz a la Cubana, which is another delicious meal from the same country.
📖 Recipe
Tortilla Española
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 4-5 medium potatoes
- 7 large eggs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste optional
Instructions
- Cut the onion into quarts and slice them.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarts lengthwise. Slice the quarts very thinly.
- Beat lightly the eggs in a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onions until translucent. Add the potatoes and mix very well. Let the vegetables cook for about 10 minutes at a medium, mixing from time to time. The potatoes should soften and caramelise slightly. Add salt and optionally pepper.
- Pour the eggs into the pan. Cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the bottom gets browned.
- Invert the tortilla by placing a large plate on top of the pan (see the post for more details).
- Cook the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Keep the tortilla leftovers in the fridge. You can reheat them in the microwave or on a pan with some more oil.
- I find sage and rosemary great additions for this tortilla but they are not part of the traditional recipe.
About the author
Food Blogger, Photographer and Cookbook Author. Founder of the sites Dani's Cookings and Taco & Tiramisu.
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