Tortilla de Patata

Many times I have been asked what is a typical dish from Spain. It can't get more Spanish than a Tortilla de Patata. Before I continue, I feel the need to clarify, as I always do, that this tortilla has little to do with her Mexican cousin. The word comes from the spanish word torta which can refer to any kind of round cake. I'm sure this is already triggering some connections in your brain. The Spanish tortilla could be defined as an omelette made with eggs, potatos and onion. It's a simple ingredient list, but the recipe involves a considerate amount of work. If it weren't because I had to make some tortillas tonight, this dish would not make it into this blog. It takes waaayyy too long to cook. But here it is, which I hope will satisfy the curiosity of some, and give others the desire to actually try cook it one day.

For 1 tortilla (serves 4), you'll need:
2-3 potatos
6-7 eggs
1/2 an onion - optional

These amounts are rough, depending all on size, your cooking expertise, and your common sense.

Preparation:
Good news: I'm working on the 15 minute version of this dish.
Bad news: this one might take you around 1.5-2 hours to cook.
better news: my aunt says it only should take around 45 mins. I guess I need to work on my cooking skills.

1. Peel potatos, wash them, and slice them very thin. So thin you could make potato chips.
2. Fill with oil a deep pan, fryer or whatever you use to deep fry in. No, olive oil is too expensive for deep frying. Vegetable oil will do. Set it to 350-400ºF, or hot enough that when you put anything in that oil it starts bubbling. A warning here about safety: be careful. Oil burns are the worst.
3. Deep fry all the potato slices. It usually needs to be done by badges.
4. While they're frying, beat all the eggs until they have a liquid consistency.
5. If you're using onions, cut them on thin slices too so you get the little onion arches. Cook them in a small pan with oil for 3-4 minutes, until they get that famous brown color.
6. The potatoes will be ready when they are golden, some crispy. They stick together. mMm... Make sure you don't eat them at this stage and ruin the recipe. It's hard not to.
7. Put the beaten eggs and the potatos (after draining them well) in a big bowl, add salt, and mix them well. Onions are welcome now. Look at the golden color of this mixture.The potatos should be fully covered by the eggs. If they're sticking out of the liquid, you need to beat more eggs and add them to the mix.
8. Here comes the actual tortilla cooking: Using a small pan, add a tablespoon of oil and set it on mid-low heat. When the oil is warm, pour carefully the mix. It usually yields more than you plan for, and there might be some left over mix. Hence tortillas are always made on badges of 2 or more.
9. Cook the tortilla for 5-7 minutes until the bottom is fully cooked and the edges come out very easily. The middle and top will still be very liquid, but that's how it's supposed to be.
10. HARDEST part of the recipe: the FLIP. Put the flattest plate you have over the pan. It should cover it in such a away that it's almost sealing the pan without air. While holding the plate against the pan, flip the pan over the plate. This should be a really quick movement of the wrists, because you got a lot of liquid there wanting to get out. It is highly recommended to do the flip over a sink. Immediately after, set the tortilla back into the pan, with the cooked side on top, liquid mix on bottom. Cook for 4-5 minutes, and there you got it: a beautiful, golden, crispy on the outside, soft in the inside, Tortilla de Patata.