Weekends are meant for lovely little brunches and finger foods and tapas and coffee with dear friends. You get the drift! Yes it's all about food and wine, I admit.
And I adore having a plate of this lovely on hand for a quick bite. Italy, Spain or Greece, the love for olive oil runs deep and so it should come as no surprise that all great things begin with copious amounts of stuff.
If your trainer is anything like mine (I'm thinking of you - Natalie!) and expects you to eats measured spoons and not cups of the stuff then take heart in the fact that all most all of the olive oil is sieved off and reserved for a future meal Yippee! Though I would reserve this for a cheat day...just saying.
But this story isn't all about the olive oil. It s about sauteed garlic, onions, green bell peppers and potatoes cut up into little cubes and turned a little crispy in olive oil. And most of all its about the eggs.
If it weren't for Pino Rosa from the Canary Islands and a chance friendship that started in a first class compartment of a train on the from Varanasi, 23 years ago, I probably wouldn't have been making this dish for so long.
Having loved it for so long, it was only a matter of time I brought it to you. There are many many versions of this classic. Some mediocre and some worse. This isn't one of them. I think you'll love this one and with a few added tips in this recipe, you won't have to worry about flipping the pan and all that either.
Give it a go, folks!
warmly,
Devaki
Recipe for
Tortilla Espanola
Serves 4-6
Shopping list
1-1/2 lbs Idaho potatoes
Olive oil for frying potatoes
Yellow onion, to yield 1-1/2 cup diced
1 small green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1-1/2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6 large eggs
Preparation:
Potatoes: Peel, wash and cut potatoes into small 1 cm cubes.
Pepper: Cut away the woody top and membranes. Chop and set aside.
Garlic: Crush and chop the garlic.
Eggs: Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl with ½ tsp salt and ground black pepper and set aside.
Method: Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Heat oil in a 10” non-stick frying pan to ½ inch depth.
Add ½ the potatoes to cover the bottom in a single layer with 1 tsp salt,
Fry until the potatoes are golden brown and softened over medium heat – approx. 10 minutes or so per batch.
Remove with a slotted spoon to a mixing bowl. Repeat frying the remaining potatoes & remove into the same oil.
Remove all the oil from the frying pan into a Pyrex cup. Return 3 tbs oil back into the pan.
Sauté the onions, peppers & garlic with ½ tsp salt for about 7-10 minutes until the onions have softened but do not brown. Remove to the bowl of potatoes. Stir & slightly cool for about 5-10 minutes.
Add the potato mixture to the bowl of eggs. Stir thoroughly to combine with a spatula.
In the same non-stick skillet, add 3 tbs of the reserved oil and coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the egg mixture & spread evenly in the pan.
Cook for approx 7-10 minutes on medium-high heat until the eggs begin set around the edges & show a light brown color.
If the non-stick pan has a plastic handle, cover completely with Aluminum foil.
Place the pan in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes until the tortilla is cooked.
Employ the ‘pierce with a toothpick test’ to ensure the insides are cooked.
Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle the pan.
Place a dinner plate face down onto the pan and flip it over so the tortilla is right side up on the plate.
Cut into squares & serve with toothpicks.
Serve warm or at room temperature with aioli.
Enjoy!
Recipe for
Aioli
Serves 4-6
Shopping list
2 eggs, large at room temperature
Juice of ½-1 lemon (depending on taste)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup canola oil
OR
1 cup canola-olive oil combination oil (sold ready made in stores)
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled
You will also need a whisk & a hand immersion stick blender
Preparation:
Garlic: Peel & crush & finely chop.
Oil: Remove into a easy pour Pyrex measuring cup.
Method:
In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped garlic, salt and with a whisk until homogeneous.
Squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon to begin with and add more if needed later.
Now begin drizzling the oil with the left hand and whisk with the right hand until all the oil and eggs are incorporated.
The mixture will still look a bit thin. Using a immersion stick blender, blend with the stick upright until the aioli reaches the right thickness.
Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to meld.
Enjoy with TORTILLA ESPANOLA.
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