spanish tortilla
La tortilla de mi abuela. My grandmother’s tortilla.
This is more than a piece of food for me, it is pure nostalgia. It’s something that has been handed down through my family for generations. It isn’t one of those recipes that was written down years ago and stuck to ever since, it has been personalised by everyone who has cooked it and evolved through time. It has been taught through watching and doing. Time spent in the kitchen together, peeling potatoes, chopping onions, frying the tortilla.
This is the taste of my family. When I think of my grandparents house, I think of the smell of tortilla. No matter where I am, one bite will send me straight back to my days as a child, sat on the kitchen counter, waiting patiently for the first slice of tortilla. I make it at home because I love it, but also because it comforts me in a way that only those deeply nostalgic dishes will. I have eaten tortilla all over Spain, but none come anywhere close to the ones that come out of my families kitchens. Not for me, anyway.
My grandmother has a special touch when it comes to making tortilla. None of us know what it is, but it has a specific taste that is impossible to emulate. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve made it many times with her, and always taken on the feedback she’s given. Buy a different type of potato. Cut the potatoes a little smaller. Add an extra egg. Whisk the eggs less. Fry it on a higher heat. So many tweaks, but never quite right. This recipe is the closest I have got to hers. Heavily seasoned, still runny in the middle, almost like she makes it.
for the tortilla
1kg red potatoes
2 large white onions (400g ish)
6 large eggs
vegetable oil
salt & pepper
method
Peel the potatoes dice them into 2cm cubes.
Peel and dice the onions.
Mix the potatoes and onions in a large pan and cover with vegetable oil. You want everything to be submerged, so make sure you have enough oil.
Turn the hob onto a low/medium heat and cook the potatoes and onions until soft. Give it a stir a few times during the process, to make sure the ingredients aren’t sticking to the bottom.
Once cooked, drain off the oil and save for another time. The oil will pick up flavour as you go, and the tortilla’s will begin to taste better and better.
Allow the potato and onion to cool slightly, then season with a good amount of salt and a lot of black pepper.
Now, heat a good splash of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat.
Whisk the eggs (not too much) and mix together with the potatoes and onions.
Pour enough of the mix into your frying pan, it should be about an inch in thickness.
Cook until the bottom is turning a lovely shade of brown, it should be about 2-3 minutes. The edges of the tortilla will be looking cooked, but the middle will still be runny.
Place a plate upside down on top of the tortilla, then flip the tortilla onto the plate. Now, slide the tortilla back into your frying pan so the cooked side is now facing up.
Cook for another minute or so, then slide out of the pan onto a plate or chopping board.
If you still have mix left, cook your second tortilla.
Slice and eat at whilst hot!
