My first attempt at making a Spanish tortilla was a complete disaster. I was at my then boyfriend-now husband’s apartment. For some reason, I thought I could turn out a decent omelette using his cruddy cookware.
Wishful thinking. First, I had to use aluminum foil to cover the tortilla since he didn’t have a lid for his fry pan; too much heat escaped so the top and center didn’t cook while the bottom burned. Then, when it was time to flip the tortilla, the runny eggs and potatoes oozed everywhere while the charred bits refused to budge. What a mess.
This time around, I had the right equipment and the entire process was seamless. The tortilla browned and set up beautifully and released onto the serving platter like a dream. And the best part? This recipe calls for less than seven tablespoons of oil, unlike some recipes that call for cups upon cups of grease. It’s just enough to sauté and flavor the potatoes, keep the mixture moist and prevent it from sticking.
Serve this Spanish tortilla as an appetizer or alongside vegetable orzo paella; leftovers are delicious reheated for breakfast or cold in a salad the next day.
Recipe adapted from A Red Binder.
- 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into ⅛" discs
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 7 large eggs
- ½ cup chopped roasted red pepper
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, potatoes, onion, ½ teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of pepper and toss to combine.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to medium-low and add potato mixture; set bowl aside. Cover fry pan and cook, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, until potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the same bowl used to prepare the potatoes, whisk together eggs and ½ teaspoon salt. Fold in roasted red pepper, peas and hot potato mixture until combined; the eggs will start to cook and that's OK.
- Heat remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in the fry pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Then quickly add egg/potato mixture and cook, shaking the pan and gently stirring the mixture constantly with a silicone spatula for about 15 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, smooth the top, cover and cook, gently shaking the pan every 30 seconds, until the bottom is golden brown and the top is slightly set, about 2 minutes.
- Using the silicone spatula, loosen the tortilla from the fry pan; shake the pan back and forth to ensure the bottom is not stuck. Slide the tortilla onto a large plate, invert onto a second plate and slide, browned side up, back into the fry pan.
- Continue to cook the tortilla over medium heat, gently shaking the pan every 30 seconds, until the second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Slide the tortilla onto a cutting board or serving platter and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Cut into cubes or wedges and serve warm.
I love spanish tortilla! Definitely cannot remember the last time that I ate one, need to recreate your delicious recipe asap!