Spanish Omelette / Tortilla de Patata (recipe)

Spanish omelette is something that gets done SO HORRENDOUSLY WRONG so much of the time. The dry and flaky air-filled nothingness that is Spanish omelette which is served in Tapas chains across the world is an insult to this dish! Try making it this way and I guarantee you it will come out perfect every time.




For this recipe you will need -

4 - 6 eggs (65g an egg)
1 green bell pepper
2 onions
500ml of olive oil - not virgin and not any other kind of oil
3 -4 medium sized russett potatoes (floury kind for soup is best)
salt
pepper to taste

Method -

Step 1 -

Peel and slice the potatoes thinly, about 0.25 to 0.5 mm in thickness. The best way to do this is to cut the potatoes lengthways in half FIRST. Dice the green bell pepper into small pieces - almost minced. Slice the onions very thinly.

Step 2 -

Add these ingredients to cold olive oil in a deep pan to cover and raise the temperature to about medium, if not just below. If your dial goes to 10 - make it a 4. Allow the oil to bubble. After about 30 - 40 mins it should be done but make sure you test the potatoes regularly - they should come apart with a fork and be cooked through.

Step 3 - Strain the mixture from its oil and reserve a little of it. Allow the cooked ingredients to sit in the strainer to cool a little bit. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add plenty of salt. Then add the ingredients directly into the egg.

Step 4 - Pour the egg mixture into a medium heated pan with the remaining olive oil. The oil is necessary to stop it sticking and will (or should) be absorbed into the egg. Every now and then give the pan a little jostle. When the omelette feels solid proceed to the next step.

Step 4 - This is divided into two methods. The first is the traditional, tried and tested method which works every time, however the technique is tricky and you can risk having eggy mess everywhere.

A. - put a dinner plate over the pan and flip the pan so that the omelette goes into the plate. You may need to loosen the omelette a little before doing this. Then slide the omelette back into the pan to cook on the other side.

B. Cover the pan with foil and grill in the oven for about 5 minutes. You will however need to use the method above to get the omelette out and looking pretty.

Enjoy!