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Monday, September 8, 2014

Tortilla Española Recipe...Any Meal, Anytime

When people think of the signature food from Spain, paella is what comes to mind more often than not. And rightfully so. 

Paella is a signature food of Spain; however, I would argue that there is another...one so ubiquitous, that it can be found and easily prepared in any Spanish home or business...from the largest capital cities to the smallest homes in the most remote villages.


Tortilla española, indeed, has the power to say, "Perdón" to its southern sibling, paella.

Tortilla is a Spanish omelet. It has regional variations, but the base is egg and potato. 

Tortilla española is a perfect meal, anytime. It can be eaten as a main dish and paired with a simple salad, in a sandwich, as a tapa or as a ration, or as a pinto pierced with toothpicks. 

It can be eaten hot or cold or room temperature.  

You can add onions (though controversial among purists), red or green peppers, chorizo, mushrooms, cheese, ham...whatever you have on hand. Or you can choose its simplest form...egg and potato, sauteed in olive oil. 

After sampling tortilla española across northern Spain and in a few Spanish restaurants here in the United States, I know two things for sure:

1. A Spanish restaurant can be judged on the quality of its tortilla. 
2. My mother-in-law makes the best tortilla española on the planet.

If you want an easy, go-to recipe that you can serve for a light dinner, lunch, brunch, snack, or anytime food, try tortilla española. 

It is Spanish comfort food at its best. 


Tortilla española

5-6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced, like chips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced or julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned 
2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (1 tablespoon of minced is fine too)
6-8 eggs, depending on how large, well beaten
Olive oil for sauteing
A lid that is roughly the diameter of the saute pan.
Salt to taste




1. Julienne your onions and peppers. Slice your garlic. Use a mandolin to slice your potatoes, or, if you are like my mother-in-law, slice by hand. Keep them thin though, to insure even cooking and the layering that happens after you add the eggs.

2. Season the veggies with salt (and pepper, if you like). My mother-in-law also seasons with Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning, but it's about what you like.

3. Saute and stir your veggies until they are fairly soft, but not overdone. Some of them might brown on the bottom...all the better. They caramelize and they are delicious. You need enough oil to insure that you will have movement, once you add the eggs.



3. Beat your eggs, like you would for an omelet. Add to the veggies. Use a fork to make sure the eggs penetrate the mixture to the bottom. You're going to be swirling the pan and eventually, tipping it over, so you want to make sure the egg cooks and sets well. 


Best tortilla española maker. Ever. 

4. Once the egg starts to cook, swirl the pan over the stove to try and get some movement. You want the entire tortilla to be free...if it sticks and falls apart, you're done.


Notice the sides,,,,they're loosening with the spinning. 



5. When it looks set, but not entirely cooked, you're ready to flip it over. Grab a lid that will cover your saute pan. Cover the saute pan and get ready to flip your tortilla. 

6. Over the sink or counter or table, flip your tortilla onto your lid. 


7. Carefully slide the tortilla back into the saute pan to finish cooking and setting the other side.

Those darker, browned bits are delicious! Sweet and crispy.

8. If part of your tortilla wasn't quite ready, don't worry...push it back down into the pan and let it cook a bit more.

All is not lost...push it down and let it cook a little more...
no one will be able to tell the difference.

9.  When you think it's done, you can flip it again but this time, onto a serving plate. Or, you could probably slide it onto a plate without flipping it again.


 10. Let it rest and cool before trying to cut into it. If it's too hot, it could fall apart a bit. Cut into pie-like slices. 




¡Buen provecho!

30 comments:

  1. That sounds delicious! Such a good traditional dish. Yum!

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    1. It is delicious and so easy to adapt to personal taste...enjoy!

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  2. I'm glad you demonstrated the flipping. It's a pet peeve when I come across a recipe where the tortilla is finished in the oven (not that it's a bad thing, it's just not a tortilla). Thanks for linking up for Meatless Monday.

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    1. Thank you for the opportunity, Lydia! And for the helpful feedback! :-)

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  3. Tortilla Espanola, love them, a real favorite in my house! Fun Post!

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    1. It's a staple at our house too, for sure. :-) Thank you, Peggy!

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  4. This looks delicious! I love making dishes like this for a brunch. Will have to try out this recipe!
    Karen @ Book Delight

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    1. It is delicious and so easy to adapt to personal taste...enjoy, Karen! Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Replies
    1. It is delicious and so easy to adapt to personal taste..an easy meal for any time.

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  6. Replies
    1. Thank you for that feedback, Stephanie! :-) I will be sure to include step-by-steps whenever possible. Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. Sounds and looks great. I like your photos of crucial steps! A wonderful brunch dish.

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    1. It is delicious and so easy to adapt to personal taste. And thank you for that feedback, Haralee! :-) I will be sure to include step-by-steps whenever possible. Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy!

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  8. Here via Boston Bloggers - pinning this recipe because yours is the best I've seen so far with such helpful photos! Making this with just a text description was a PAIN - now I have a handy visual guide :)

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    1. Hello, Keiko! Welcome! :-) Thank you for that feedback. I will be sure to include step-by-steps whenever possible. Thank you so much for stopping by! Enjoy!

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  9. Those of us with Spaniards in our life are quite spoiled with their amazing dishes, aren't we? We know it as tortilla de patata and my girlfriend, a native to Spain, treats us to it often. It is delicious.

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    1. You are lucky, indeed, Beth. Spanish food is delicious...so hearty and simple, but tasty. Tortilla is a go-to dish in our house. Thank you so much for stopping by! :-) Welcome.

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  10. Oh gosh that looks SO good!!!

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    1. It is delicious, Stephanie. It makes a great, quick meal...any time of the day. Enjoy!

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  11. I make a recipe very similar to yours for my husband and he loves. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Will pin & twitt.

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  12. This looks so homey and delicious. I would be honored if you would stop by and share your recipe today at Foodie Fridays. It's not all real food at the party but I would love to infuse a big healthy dose of it into the party. Thanks so much and I hope to see you there.
    Blessings,
    Shari
    http://puregracefarms.com/2014/09/foodie-fridays-were-growing/

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    1. Hi Shari!
      Thank you so much for the opportunity to link up and find some amazing new recipes! And thank you so much for stopping by!

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    2. Thanks for coming by and linking up this delicious recipe. I am a pushover for anything with potatoes. Scheduled to share this week and pinned. I hope to see you and another of your fabulous recipes next week.

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    3. Thank you, Shari! I hope you're having a great week!

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  13. I love tortilla! I had a coworker who would bring it in every now and then. I miss that. It was a nice mid-morning treat. This looks fabulous! Pinned!

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    1. But now you can make it Christy. :-) Thank you for pinning. Have a great rest of your week.

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  14. I have done this before but need a bit more practice with the flipping!! It does make for a delicious meal!! Thanks for stopping by Let's Get Real this week!! Be sure to come again!

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    1. It does take practice, Elizabeth. But you're right...it makes for a fabulous meal. Thank you for the opportunity to link up.

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