Spanish TORTILLA

The tortilla de patatas, the popular Spanish potato omelette, appears in written form as early as the notebooks of Francisco Martinez Montino. He was the head chef for the Hapsburg kings Philip III and Philip IV and was also the author of one of the most important works of Spanish gastronomy: Arte de cocina, pasteleria, bizocheria y conserveria.

This simple egg dish was initially known as tortilla de cartuja. It was created by the Carthusian monks and the eggs were mixed with cream. Another recipe in Montinos’s collection describes the preparation of tortillas de agua, which involves putting a few drops of water in the pan after the oil has been poured out and before the eggs are added. This is the most original form of the tortilla now described in Spain as “French,” a very simple omelette (tortilla francesa). Over the following centuries, the potato omelette then became so typical that it eventually attained the rank of a national dish, the tortilla espanola.

Nowadays, almost anything can be used to make an omelette in Spain: spinach or beans, elvers or ham, tomatoes or mushrooms. For the tortilla al modo de Palencia, several tortillas are stacked and tomato sauce is poured over them all. Many people like to consume the three-story tortilla de tres pisos with quite outrageous amounts of mayonnaise. In Valencia, tortilla is made with rice and ham, or even with the leftovers from a paella; the tortilla del Sacrmonte, with brains and bull’s testicles, is typical of Granada. Those who like to eat in style will need eight eggs and 7 ounces (200 grams) of potatoes to serve four.

Others use three eggs to 2 ¼ pounds (1 kilogram) of potatoes. For the simplest Madrid-style variation, the potatoes are fried, together with finely sliced onions or cloves of garlic. This tortilla is so popular that it is often confused with the original recipe for tortilla de patatas (note, without onions!). For the tortilla de escabeche a la madrileñia (with marinated tuna fish), potatoes and onions must be sliced particularly fine, and for the tortilla de esparagos (asparagus omelette) asparagus from Aranjuez is especially popular in Madrid.

TORTILLA DE PATATAS – Potato omelette

2/3 cup/150 ml olive oi!
2 ¼ pounds/1 kg large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
6 eggs

Heat a scant ½ cup/100 ml of olive oil in a heavy iron pan. Put the sliced potatoes into the pan, season with 1 tsp of salt and toss once in the oil. Then reduce the heat and fry the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, turning them occasionally. Drain off the surplus oil. Beat the eggs with 1 tsp of salt until they are frothy, using a whisk. Carefully fold in the sliced potatoes and then leave the entire mixture to rest for a time. Heat the remaining oil in an iron pan and put the potato and egg mixture into it. Smooth it out and let it thicken for a few minutes on a low heat. Turn the potato omelette over with the help of a plate or a lid and brown it in the same way on the other side. Serve hot or cold.

Tortilla and other Spanish Recipes with Bill & Sheila

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