one of the treats of working from home is being able to see a tortilla being made properly (ie it's not me making it). i was never a fan, finding it too eggy and bland, the potato not quite cooked enough etc - until i had it made by someone who knows what they're doing...and now i have been happily converted.
The Spanish word tortilla denotes two different classes of foods, depending on where the term is encountered. Etymologically, it is derived from the word torta, meaning a plain round cake.
In Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba and South America, a tortilla is any omelette, often a round, layered omelette (i.e., not folded over), most typically made with chopped potatoes cooked in vegetable oil, mixed with beaten eggs, such seasonings as the chef desires. and cooked very slowly on the stove. It is usually served cold as an appetizer, tapas, or bar snack.
The terms Spanish tortilla, tortilla española or tortilla de patatas all refer to a common recipe in Spain, an omelette with stir-fried potatoes and chopped onion, often served in Spanish bars and cafés. American versions of Spanish and South American tortilla are usually cooked in vegetable shortening, commonly with bell pepper and/or onion and/or chives--and typically served warm instead of cold. In Panama, a tortilla is a deep fried cornmeal disk, slightly smaller than a hockey puck.
the recipe that Fadia is making today is the
spanish tortilla.
instead of using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, she uses a regular standing cheese grater - something i avoid as it means bloody fingers and pain. she made it look so easy that i might give it a go next time.
it is really important to find the right pan - so the tortilla forms the perfect depth and roundness, and also so it doesn't stick when you turn it out. you can use nonstick but i am told by experienced tortilla makers that nonstick is cheating. ok.
you will need:
2 eggs, beaten
10 small to medium sized potatoes - sliced finely but thicker than a potato chip/crisp
1 medium sized onion - sliced in rings rather than chopped - it adds to the layered look nicely.
salt
vegetable or regular olive oil
butter
1. fry the sliced onion over a medium heat until soft. move to a large bowl and set aside.
2. fry the (peeled) potato slices over a low heat until soft.
3. add the eggs to the fried onions and mix well. season with a large pinch of salt.
4. add the potatoes to this bowl and mix well.
5. melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan - add the onion/potato/egg mixture and cook over a medium-low heat. you can hopefully see from the photos how high the flames are. don't stir it, it needs to "set".
6. it is ready when the base is firm and can be lifted easily from the pan - around 7 minutes, but use your own judgement. be careful that even if the base is set, the body isn't too "wet" as it will fall apart when you turn it out onto the plate.
7. take a deep breath and invert your tortilla onto a plate. if it's not done enough, just plop it back into the pan and continue cooking it.
8. when done, serve the tortilla cold, cut into cubes as an appetizer or tapa.
¡buen provecho!
one of the treats of working from home is being able to see a tortilla being made properly (ie it's not me making it). i was never a fan, finding it too eggy and bland, the potato not quite cooked enough etc - until i had it made by someone who knows what they're doing...and now i have been happily converted.
The Spanish word tortilla denotes two different classes of foods, depending on where the term is encountered. Etymologically, it is derived from the word torta, meaning a plain round cake.
In Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba and South America, a tortilla is any omelette, often a round, layered omelette (i.e., not folded over), most typically made with chopped potatoes cooked in vegetable oil, mixed with beaten eggs, such seasonings as the chef desires. and cooked very slowly on the stove. It is usually served cold as an appetizer, tapas, or bar snack. The terms Spanish tortilla, tortilla española or tortilla de patatas all refer to a common recipe in Spain, an omelette with stir-fried potatoes and chopped onion, often served in Spanish bars and cafés. American versions of Spanish and South American tortilla are usually cooked in vegetable shortening, commonly with bell pepper and/or onion and/or chives--and typically served warm instead of cold. In Panama, a tortilla is a deep fried cornmeal disk, slightly smaller than a hockey puck.
the recipe that Fadia is making today is the spanish tortilla.
instead of using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, she uses a regular standing cheese grater - something i avoid as it means bloody fingers and pain. she made it look so easy that i might give it a go next time.
it is really important to find the right pan - so the tortilla forms the perfect depth and roundness, and also so it doesn't stick when you turn it out. you can use nonstick but i am told by experienced tortilla makers that nonstick is cheating. ok.
you will need:
2 eggs, beaten
10 small to medium sized potatoes - sliced finely but thicker than a potato chip/crisp
1 medium sized onion - sliced in rings rather than chopped - it adds to the layered look nicely.
salt
vegetable or regular olive oil
butter
1. fry the sliced onion over a medium heat until soft. move to a large bowl and set aside.
2. fry the (peeled) potato slices over a low heat until soft.
3. add the eggs to the fried onions and mix well. season with a large pinch of salt.
4. add the potatoes to this bowl and mix well.
5. melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan - add the onion/potato/egg mixture and cook over a medium-low heat. you can hopefully see from the photos how high the flames are. don't stir it, it needs to "set".
6. it is ready when the base is firm and can be lifted easily from the pan - around 7 minutes, but use your own judgement. be careful that even if the base is set, the body isn't too "wet" as it will fall apart when you turn it out onto the plate.
7. take a deep breath and invert your tortilla onto a plate. if it's not done enough, just plop it back into the pan and continue cooking it.
8. when done, serve the tortilla cold, cut into cubes as an appetizer or tapa.
¡buen provecho!
