Tortillas Españolas

Tonight I made tortillas for dinner. Just not the Mexican kind.

There's another kind of tortilla? You say.

Yes, there is. And it is the tastiest kind. In Spain, if you order a tortilla at a restaurant, you will not be served a very flat piece of bread. You would be served a slice of something akin to a potato and egg quiche, but without the pie crust. I discovered these while visiting Spain, and over the course of the two months I spent there, I tried many varieties of this Spanish staple. The standard tortillas with potatoes, onions, and egg were always delicious, but I also had ones with jamón and others that were made with zucchini instead of potato. And I was always excited when they were served with a slice of manchego cheese on top.

Back in America, I tried to make them myself, but I had alot of trouble for a while. In Spain, they have somehow mastered the art of flipping a potato and egg mixture like a pancake. Every time I tried it though, I ended up with a scrambled eggs and potato mixture. Tasty, but not quite what I was going for.

Finally, I had a revelation while watching Seth cook a frittata. What if I didn't flip the tortilla to cook the other side, but put it under the broiler instead? While not exactly the traditional Spanish method, it yields very similar results. And it's so much easier and foolproof. (Well, almost. Just don't be like me and accidentally stick the skillet under the broiler with a rubber grip still on the handle. Your house will smell like burning plastic for hours.)

Tortilla Española (Spanish Tortilla)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, cubed (or frozen cubed potatoes)

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 eggs

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

manchego cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Start by cooking the potatoes, onions, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. You will need to add a little oil or butter in, and stir them frequently so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. When the potatoes are almost completely cooked through, remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk four eggs with paprika, salt, and pepper. Now you can either pour this into the pan with the potatoes, or pour the potatoes into the bowl. Either way, mix everything up together. Put the skillet with the egg/potato mixture back on the stove on medium/low heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the bottom starts to brown. You can check this by sliding a spatula down the side and lifting up the edge slightly. 

When the bottom seems to be well cooked, put the skillet into the oven (make sure you are using an oven-safe skillet!). Turn the broiler on high for 5 minutes. The tortilla should be a nice golden brown color on top when you take it out.

Slice into wedges and serve. Top with manchego cheese if you want them to be especially delicious.