An Easy Breezy Tortilla Española
Spanish-themed parties invoke worry as much as they inspire enthusiasm. Such gatherings fill the table with wine and tapas—appetizers or small snacks enjoyed before huge, main meals. But the wide spread that tapas typically require also means investing time and energy on prep work. Also, I humbly admit my struggles with brewing Spanish flavors in my kitchen. Blame it to lack of authentic ingredients or mere lack of skill, but even after sourcing my ingredients from reputable shops and following recipe books step by step, the finished product almost always falls short of expectations.
So when ex-officemates and I gathered for a tapas potluck party last Friday night, I defaulted to the only tapas dish that I can prepare with unquestionable confidence. My Tortilla Española is very basic and even easier to make: I slice potatoes and onions very thinly and cook them in butter until translucent. I then add an egg and cheese mixture, and let it cook until set. I pop the dish inside the oven to give the dish an appetizing finish on the surface.
My Tortilla Española is best served warm or in room temperature with a generous dollop of aioli (recipe coming soon).
- Two tablespoons butter
- Four medium-sized potatoes (approximately ½ kilo), sliced very thinly into rounds
- Two large white onions, sliced thinly
- Five medium-sized eggs
- 100 grams grated Quickmelt cheese
- A huge dash of salt
- Melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet.
- Sauté the potatoes for 10 minutes under low heat until translucent.
- Add in the white onions and sauté for three minutes.
- Make an even layer of the potatoes and onions. Beat the eggs with the grated cheese and salt, and pour into the pan.
- Cover, and cook the mixture for 10 minutes under medium low heat until the egg is almost set and the cheese is melted.
- Transfer the pan into a 200°C preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes until the top is browned.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with aioli.
As with many other food bloggers out there, I am no chef. I come with no culinary training whatsoever, and so it’s not at all surprising that my kitchen adventures are punctuated by frequent mishaps and blunders. Yet, there are recipes that I seem to make much better than others. And so, after years of prodding from family and friends, here I am, sharing the little that I know.
Why “gourmand,” you ask? Simply because I like making and eating good food. I can eat a lot, too—so there you go!