Food is something very close to our hearts. And that’s why it is so risky to go up to someone and say: “This is the way you should cook this dish”. Everyone has a specific memory of a dish. And that memory is usually linked with the way it was cooked at his own home. BUT… there are always some basics that should be followed.
That’s why I’m going to talk about the tortilla de patatas or tortilla española. The thing is, I’m a true gastronomy junkie. I watch all kinds of cooking shows/documentaries. I follow all kinds of blogs, Facebook pages… and I often see recipes of this dish going around in the internet that make my heart bleed.
So, today I am going to tell you some basic facts you have to know about the REAL spanish omelette (meaning a traditional tortilla de patatas the way it has been eaten in most spanish households for decades).
Basic rules for spanish omelettes
- The main ingredients are eggs, onions and potatoes.
- The potatoes are neither boiled, nor steamed, nor baked . Fry them.
- The potatoes should be cut intoeven slices (no chunks, no cubes).
- If you cut the slices very thinly they are more likely to break down a bit while you cook them but… that’s fine. If youcut them a bit thicker (4 mm more or less) you will have to fry them a bit more, but if you almost don’t stir them at all, and cook them on low/medium heat (starting from high eat), they are going to stay in one piece. And that’s the secret to create that lovely potato layers on the inside.
- The tortilla isn’t a frittata. You don’t cook it in the oven. You should fry the omelette (in a non stick pan with nearly nothing of oil). If you don’t do so, you will miss that lovely golden layer of egg on both sides of the tortilla de patatas. You shouldn’t be able to see what is in the inside of the tortilla. Only that delicious even egg covering.
Controversial facts
- Is it a sin to leave out the onions and make a tortilla de patata without them?
For some people… it is.
- Should the potatoes be cut into slices or into cubes?
For me it’s obviously into slices, because the layers of potatoes come out awesome.
- Should the eggs end up fully cooked or can they be runny?
This depends of where in Spain you eat the tortilla de patatas. There are those who like to let the eggs extremely runny, and those who can’t stand that. But I´ll tell you what. It’s very difficult to cook a tortilla and achieve that lovely runny interior, and still manage to cook the outside.
