Now and then you come across a new dish or flavour that is simply unforgettable and blows you away. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does you remember it for the rest of your life. For example, one of the earliest memories I have is eating a mango at four years old. I thought I had never tasted anything so delicious and succulent. My love affair with taste and food had begun.
My last unforgettable food experience was in Spain a few years ago. I recall we had just arrived in Madrid, and had decided to take a stroll. Most of the cafes were closed but we found a plain looking establishment with dirty tables and jarring electronic music (it was a Sunday morning). Spanish food was not a cuisine that I was familiar with (except for the odd Paella out) so I really had no idea what I was ordering. Tortilla a la Espanola is one of the most common tapas dishes so we ordered it and waited. When it arrived it looked fairly ordinary, like a simple potato omelet, but after one bite I fell in love!!! The taste and the texture is a perfect mixture between egg and potato. It feels like velvet in your mouth, and the potatoes take on a wonderful creamy and moist texture. I didn't know potato could taste THAT good!
So what makes Tortilla a la Espanola so delicious? It is the softness of the potatoes that have been slowly boiled in a beautiful olive oil and onion infusion, combined with the creaminess of the eggs. It truly is a dish which is going to be eternally delicious.
I loved it so much I was determined to make it when I got home. But making it authentically was not easy. As it was such a simple dish I had erroneously assumed it would be pretty easy to knock up. Think again! Dozens of potatoes and failed dishes later, I was beginning to think I'd never be able to re-create my Spanish experience. Not to be deterred, I scoured the Internet for different recipes and techniques (there are many), and after countless misses, I finally hit the jackpot! So here it is ...
Ingredients
1 cup of olive oil (it's very important to use high quality olive oil - no substitution allowed)
4 large potatoes - sliced (not too thin - you don't want crispy potatoes)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 large eggs
Heat the oil in an 8 or 9-inch skillet or stainless steel frying pan until it is close to boiling. Add the potato slices one at a time so they don't stick together. Alternate layers of potato and onion. Salt the layers slightly. (It is important for the potatoes to be covered in oil so if not then you need to add more oil.)
Reduce the heat (medium temperature) and slowly boil the potatoes (rather than frying), lifting and turning them, until they are tender (but not brown). The potatoes should remain separated and not in a cake. Drain the potatoes and reserve about 3 tblspns of the oil.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are slightly foamy. Salt to toast. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture - pressing down so that they are completely immersed by the egg. Leave for 15 minutes.
Wipe out skillet, scraping off any stuck bits. Add two tblspns of the oil in hot skillet until the oill smokes. Then turn the heat down a bit (from maximum temperature to a moderate temperature) and add potato and egg mixture. When it browns, flip it over and cook the other side.
HINTS: The tricky part is actually knowing when to flip. When you think about it, egg doesn't take very long to go brown, particularly when it's in a hot frying pan. If you leave it too long it will burn, as I found out on numerous occasions. So I flip it very quickly - after about 30 seconds or so (if it's not brown you can always flip back later). After all, the key to success is for the potatoe and egg mixture to retain its moisture inside the pancake, and that won't happen if you overcook it. (If you look at the photo, you will see the outside is cooked while inside is still runny - that's how it must be).
Now onto the next hint, how do you successfully flip a potato pancake? Well, I take a plate, put it on the top of the frying pan and then flip the frying pan and plate. Once the mixture is safely out and on the plate, I slide it back into the skillet uncooked side first.
I would recommend everyone try this recipe. It takes a bit of practicing but once you get the hang it is actually easy. It is a nice little side dish, I promise it will become a favourite and if you get it right you won't ever order it in a spanish restaurant again (because you can make a more authentic version).
It's pretty versatile as well. We had it last with some fried sausages, and oven-baked baby zuchinni and tomatoes. Yummy! It is also delicious cold, and can be served alongside a salad and cold cuts on a hot day. So if you want an unforgettable food experience, try it out!
Bon Appetit!
