Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)

Tortilla Española - Spanish Omelette Image: Joy / CC BY

Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette) is, more often than not, the breakfast of choice in Tenerife, probably because, when it's served in bars, you usually have to be early to be one of the lucky ones to get a slice. But you could make it any time, not just breakfast, but for lunch, or tea, or supper ... It uses economic and basic ingredients, is easy to make and is pretty much comfort food. 

Ingredients
For 4 people

Potatoes 700 g
Onion 300 g
Eggs 6
Salt
Olive oil

Method

Start with caramelizing the onion, which will take about 30 minutes. Peel the onion and cut it into thin julienne strips. Then put them in a frying pan over very low heat and let them cook very slowly, stirring occasionally. We're not interested in the onion being browned, but being caramelised in its own natural sugars.

While the onion is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices, trying to ensure that all of them are uniform in size. Leave them in water for 15 minutes, drain, then place a frying pan with plenty of olive oil. Without giving the oil time to heat up, add the potatoes and let them fry very slowly. This way we get the potatoes to confit instead of browning. After about ten minutes, stirring from time to time, raise the heat to get some of the potatoes to be more toasted.

Once cooked, remove the potatoes and drain them well from the oil and put them in a large bowl. Drain the onions and add them to the potatoes. Beat the eggs and add them to the bowl, season and stir with a fork so that the ingredients are mixed well. Return the mixture to a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil and fry for about three or four minutes and turn it over to cook on the other side.