We almost always have eggs, potatoes, olive oil & onion at home, so when the fridge is empty, we can still make tortilla. It’s not the fastest dish, but aside from a little attention, it doesn’t demand too much of you. The potatoes (and onion if you’re using it) are cooked very slowly in a deep pool of olive oil, producing silky, melting slices. It is simplicity at its absolute finest. Whether to add onion or not seems to divide opinion, I can say I love it with and without. The part I find most stressful about this recipe is when it comes to flipping the tortilla, but if you accept that it might be a little messy, you’ll be just fine. You can serve this with all manner of things, I like half an avocado, sliced and drizzled with olive oil on the side. On a summer’s day, we enjoy it with a simple salad of tomatoes dressed with olive oil, good balsamic, torn basil, salt and pepper.
Tortilla
750 g waxy potatoes, very finely sliced
1 small onion, very finely diced (optional)
200-250 ml olive oil
6-8 eggs
salt and pepper
On a low heat, gently warm the olive oil in a small frying pan. Ours is 20 cm. Add the sliced potatoes and onion (if using). They shouldn’t actively fry in the oil, a gentle bubble is perfect. You want the potato and onion to cook very slowly, like a confit, so don’t allow them to brown. Add 3/4 tsp of salt and stir every few minutes until the potato is very soft and melting. It might take 20-30 minutes.
When it’s cooked, drain the potatoes in a sieve or a colander set over a heatproof bowl. Reserve the oil (I keep it for other frying jobs or putting in a salad dressing) and let the potatoes cool for a few minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk up the eggs so that no stringy whites remain. Season with salt and pepper. We use 6 eggs, but we prefer our tortilla a bit more on the potato-y side, if you want it eggier, add one or two more.
Toss the potato in the mixed egg. Add two tablespoons of the reserved oil back into the frying pan and set on a medium/low heat. Tip the egg and potato mix back in the pan.
Allow to cook until a clear ring of cooked egg is visible round the edge. You don’t want the centre to be too liquid as the next step will be more difficult, but you don’t want it fully cooked either.
The next bit is a little fiddly and sometimes messy. Slide the tortilla out onto a plate. Cover with another plate and flip over so the top of the tortilla is now on the bottom. Slide the whole thing back into the pan, uncooked side down, to finish cooking.
Slide out onto a plate when it’s done. I like it to still be slightly runny on the inside, but that’s not for everyone.
Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, or cool to room temperature. I don’t like to eat it piping hot or fridge cold.