The first time I was asked if I wanted a tortilla in Spain, I said, “Sure, of course!” I love tortillas. However, I was surprised when instead of handing me a round, white, circle of flour or corn, they gave me a plate of eggs. In Spain, tortilla means omelette. I was disappointed at first, but then I learned of the magical powers of a tortilla española, or tortilla de patata.
Tortilla de patata is a staple food in the Spanish diet. It’s super simple: eggs, potatoes, onions, and olive oil. I never learned how to make one when I was in Spain, preferring to leave it to the professionals (aka Spanish mothers), but I had the craving for one in the US — and not the frozen kind you can buy at the Spanish store. I wanted a fresh, home made tortilla.
So I found a recipe and made my first one. It was ok. A little bland, a little burnt. But I kept practicing because I like to be perfect at things. I did a little experimentation with the recipe and on my fourth attempt, my mom declared it the best one I had ever made and authentic.
So I’ve decided to share my wisdom with you. How to make the perfect Spanish tortilla. Like I said, all you need are:
- 2-2.5 normal sized potatoes, or 5-6 small potatoes
- 1 onion (I usually decide whether I will use a whole, a half, three-fourths at the time)
- 6 eggs
- milk
- olive oil
First, peel the potatoes and dice them into tiny square-ish shapes. Do the same of the onion. I like to put the potatoes and onions into a giant bowl and mix them together. Then add some salt and pepper. Really be generous with the salt and pepper. Heat a pan at medium heat and add olive oil. My original recipe said 3 tablespoons, but just make sure you have enough olive oil to fry. Once heated, put the potatoes and onions into the pan and fry until the potatoes start to turn golden and get a little crispy.
While the potatoes and onions are cooking, crack the 6 eggs into a bowl and whisk. I like to actually use a whisk and not just a fork. I also add some milk. About 1/4 cup of milk will do. I mix the eggs and milk together some more, and add some more salt and pepper.
When the potatoes and onions have finished cooking, I drain them in a colander just to get rid of a little extra olive oil, as well as wipe out the oil from the pan. I then add the potatoes and onions to the eggs in the bowl and mix again. I like to add even more salt, but it’s really up to you.
Add some more drizzle of olive oil and pour the mixture back into the pan. I like to pull back bits of egg so that more egg can cook before I have to flip. When the egg starts to set and looks cooked, it’s time for the flip. Now, I have special pans that I can lock in and flip over, but you can also just flip it onto a plate and then put the uncooked side back into the pan. Keep going until the other side is cooked.
When everything looks cooked and edible, it’s time to do one more flip onto a plate for consumption!
I was a little discouraged the first time I made one because I hadn’t cooked the first side long enough and it kind of crumbled, but we saved it. Every time I make one though, I always look for improvements. You can also add other vegetables to the tortilla. One family I lived with put spinach in the tortilla. Another family I knew had someone who didn’t like onions so they only used potatoes. When you start getting comfortable, there are so many possibilities!
Buen provecho!
