Tortilla Espanola

One of the first things I learned to cook on my own was Tortilla Espanola.  I was a Freshman undergrad at the University of California, Davis enrolled in the introductory Spanish courses.  A part of each class was dedicated to learning about the cultures of Spanish-speaking nations. The best, and most memorable part of the curriculum involved students researching the cuisine of a country and preparing a dish to share with the class.  As a freshman in the dorms, my access to any kitchen, let alone any applicable culinary tools were limited to none.  Our Spanish profesora was a twenty-something graduate student living in Davis and mercifully allowed my group the use of her kitchen to prepare food for the project.  She drove me and another group member to the local Safeway, and pretty much let us tear apart her kitchen in our feeble attempt to make something even remotely edible.  

The time we spent in the kitchen was limited, seeing as how Tortilla Espanola is a fairly simple dish to create and aside from flipping the whole thing in the pan, takes minimal effort to create.  What made this experience worth sharing was the fact that I was a bright eyed, bushy tailed Freshman, with a very small view of the world coming from the suburbs of San Francisco, CA and spent most of my time with those my age, with the same problems, experiences, and worldliness as myself.  I was able to experience the world through the stories and experiences of my multilingual Canadian Spanish teacher who held a strong belief in the power of crystals and astrology.  A tarot card reading and a feeding session with her two pet chinchillas (aptly named Peanut and Jelly) later, our Tortilla Espanola was finished and we were on our bikes back to campus.

The presentation the next day went off beautifully.  Our dish was by far the most popular and our resulting "A" was the perfect end to our project.  I still make this dish and share it with others, each time further perfecting flipping the dish in the pan, attempting to keep it in one piece.  In Spain, Tortilla Espanola can be served as a main dish, sliced in wedges and served alongside toasted bread, or as tapas by placing the dish on bite sized pieces of bread, kind of like a canape.  Either way, the dish is traditionally served room temperature, or chilled.  By experimenting with the ingredients, you can figure out a way to tailor it to your personal tastes and make it your own.  

Buena Suerte y Buen Provecho!

Tortilla Espanola: (serves approx. 6)

3-4 large russet potatoes (diced, or shredded if possible)

1/2 a large yellow onion (minced)

10 eggs

salt/pepper to taste

paprika

In a large bowl, combine the peeled and finely diced potatoes with the 10 beaten eggs.  Add about a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper.  Ensure that the mixture is well incorporated (so you don't end up with a mess of onion in one bite).  The mixture should not be too loose...kind of like pancake batter...with bits of potato.

In a 9" pan pour enough to cover the bottom...thick enough to make a substantial omelet.  On medium heat simmer until a bottom crust forms and solidifies.  After its pretty set, flip the entire thing over to cook and crust on the other side until golden brown and delicious.  

I've always had trouble flipping and have tried it different ways.  I've put a plate on top of the pan and flipped it, and i've cut it into pieces and flipped the pieces.  Either way, the taste isn't affected, its mainly for presentation.  Let cool, cut into wedges, sprinkle with paprika, and enjoy!

Depending on your tastes, you can serve with salsa or hot sauce for some extra kick.  Toy around with the ingredients and throw in whatever you like, chorizo, cheese, garlic, and some diced tomatoes come to mind.  Good luck in the kitchen!!