MAIN DISH: VEGETARIAN
Spanish Tortilla de Patata
Ingredients
3-4 Medium/Large Potatoes
½ Large onion (diced into small pieces)
1 garlic clove (washed and slightly crashed but not pealed, to bring
more flavor)
4-5 large eggs
1 pinch of salt
Black pepper (freshly ground)
Olive oil (~5 tablespoons, enough to cover one finger the frying pan)
Contributed by David Izquierdo-Garcia
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Servings: 4 people or as an appetizer
(cut into small cubes for small bites)
If feeling courageous add 1 zucchini squash (diced into small pieces) at
the same time as the onions. This will bring more taste and color to
your Tortilla!
Method
1. Wash, peel and dice the potatoes into ~½ inch cubes. Set aside.
2. Heat a large frying pan (medium heat) and add the garlic clove. Fry the garlic for a few seconds (~30sec or so, but don’t burn it!!).
3. At this point, you can either remove it or leave it to cook with the rest to extract more flavor (but remember to remove it at the end!). Add the
diced potatoes, a pinch of salt and some black pepper (to taste) and fry/sauté them for around 20-30 minutes. Remember to keep them at medium
heat, so for my MRI colleagues, the potatoes should not be top-spin (fried) nor down-spin (sauté), but an in-between state.
4. While the potatoes are frying, dice the onion and add them to the pan around halfway of the frying process. For my PET and nuclear medicine
colleagues, add the onions at 1 half-life of the frying process time!
5. While the potatoes and onion are getting done, whisk the eggs (well beaten). Once the potatoes and onions are done, remember to remove the
garlic clove (if not done previously) or you will risk people not getting close to you to talk. Add the potatoes/onion mix into the eggs. Mix well
with a fork. Add a pinch of salt and more black pepper (if needed, to taste).
6. Pre-heat a medium pan (medium heat) with a dash of olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add the mix and let it cook, without stirring it, for ~2-4
minutes to cook the eggs from one side (to taste). Then put a large flat plate upside down on top of the pan and with a quick move flip the omelet
and put it back into the pan to cook the other side for another ~2-4 minutes (to taste).
Note: If you have one of those double-pans to flip omelets, you may want to use it instead of the plate. Your Spanish tortilla is ready to serve!
This is one of the most typical dishes in Spain (together with the famous Paella) and
the hit number #1 to share for a party with friends/family. When cooking this plate, I
always feel close to home, and I imagine myself cooking side by side with my mum,
who obviously cooks the best Tortilla one could ever taste!
52