If, like me, you’ve enjoyed Spanish tortilla in restaurants, but are a little daunted by making it at home this recipe is for you! This Spanish-ish tortilla takes a few shortcuts to simplify the process, but the flavor is spot on to other tortillas I’ve had. Traditionally the onions and potatoes for a Spanish tortilla are gently fried in a massive amount of olive oil that’s then saved for future tortillas. This has never seemed practical to me, so I was thrilled to find that parboiled potatoes work perfectly. I looked all over for this simplified version and added a few tricks to make this easy and dinner-worthy dish.
We’re really excited about this year’s potato harvest, it’s looking great! For this dish, just peel the potatoes, and thinly slice. Bring them to a boil, then a cook simmer while you saute the onions until golden brown. You’ll need to cool both the potatoes and onions, so I drained the potatoes, tossed the onions on top and then stuffed the whole thing in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Combine the cooled potatoes with the beaten eggs a little bit at a time, you want the egg mixture between each potato. This tortilla is cooked like a frittata, it takes the somewhat terrifying task of flipping the tortilla back and forth between two pans out of the picture and simplifies the process completely. Serve with a smear of garlicky aioli and simple salad.
Spanish Tortilla
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, minced
8 eggs
salt and pepper
pinch smoked paprika
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1. Place the potatoes in a medium sized pot, cover with water, and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 3-4 minutes until potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Drain and leave in the strainer to cool.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the onions to the strainer with the potatoes and let cool.
3. Whisk together the eggs with a pinch of smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. When the potatoes and onions are cool, preheat the oven 400 F. Combine the eggs and potatoes in a large bowl, a bit at a time, until the egg mixture completely coats the potatoes.
5. Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet you cooked the onions, over medium low heat. Add the egg potato mixture and spread into an even layer. Cook until the edges are set then transfer to the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. The tortilla is finished when the center is set and top is browned. If you want to you can broil the top for a minute or two. Slice into wedges and serve.
