Tortilla española: A Spanish delight from simple ingredients

All it takes is one trip to Spain to realize that tortillas are one of the country's favourite dishes. They are simple, delicious, and satisfying. You can have them for lunch, but they truly reign among tapas or small snacks. It takes just a moment, and the tortilla is ready.

Tortilla, known in Spain as tortilla de patatas or tortilla española, is a type of omelette with potatoes. It looks more like a golden-brown, fluffy cake, though it has a savoury taste. You can serve it at any time of the day, from breakfast to lunch and finally at dinner. What is it about this dish that makes Spaniards eat it nonstop?

Tortilla is a simple, inexpensive, and filling dish. We often say this about potato-based dishes, but it is true. These vegetables perform exceptionally well. Of course, it’s worth combining them with a few other ingredients, but the list of necessary products is always short. In the basic version of a tortilla, it’s just eggs and onions. There is no way the tortilla will not turn out well.

• Starchy potatoes, which are more floury, are the best choice. They should be sliced as thin as possible so they cook quickly.

• Choose the freshest and highest quality eggs for your tortilla. Organic, free-range eggs work best. Eggs stored in the fridge for a long time will negatively affect the taste.

• With onion or without? Even Spaniards have different opinions on this matter. However, it certainly enhances the dish’s flavour.

• You need to be very careful when flipping the tortilla to the other side. It’s helpful to use a plate to slide the tortilla onto. If you have two pans of the same size, simply cover the tortilla with the second pan and flip it over.

• The potato tortilla is a classic, but its taste can be enriched by adding chorizo sausage pieces, dry ham, parsley, or pepper. However, it’s worth starting with the basic version.

• The ideal tortilla should be creamy in the middle and well-browned on the outside. Good luck!

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes,
• olive oil,
• 1 onion, sliced into feathers,
• 50 grams of chopped chorizo sausage, optional,
• 4 eggs,
• half a bunch of parsley, optional,
• salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly. Then, peel the onion and slice it into feathers. If you are using chorizo sausage, slice it as well.
2. In heated olive oil, sauté the onion and potatoes. The vegetables should be soft but not brown, so there should be plenty of oil. They should be more stewed than fried.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sausage, parsley, and sautéed onion with potatoes. Season the mixture with salt.
4. Pour the mixture into a pan and cook over low heat until browned. Afterwards, flip the omelette to the other side.
5. The tortilla tastes great directly from the pan, but also when cold.