Tortilla Española… how to make a Spanish omelette

Tortilla Española… how to make a Spanish omelette

Paul Whitelock was taught how to make a Spanish omelette by a Basque friend at the age of 21. Here’s how…

Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes, cubed or diced
  • 1 onion sliced or chopped
  • garlic (if desired)
  • 4 eggs
  • olive oil

Method

Fry the potatoes in sufficient olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.  Cover with a lid.  Just before the potatoes are cooked add the onion (and garlic).

In the meantime beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and ground pepper.  When the potatoes and onions are cooked, add them to the egg avoiding transferring too much oil from the frying pan.

Pour off excess oil from the pan and make sure the remaining film of oil is hot before adding the mixture to the pan.  Turn down the heat immediately.  Agitate the mixture with a wooden spoon to aid cooking.  When the underside is cooked, turn omelette onto a plate and return to pan with the uncooked side downwards.  Cook until the centre of omelette is still soft but hot.  Don’t allow the underside to burn.  Turn on to a plate and eat either hot or cold.

If omelette sticks, don’t panic – you can carefully reconstruct it by scraping stuck pieces onto a plate and reshaping it before returning to the pan.

¡Buen provecho!

Paul Whitelock

About Paul Whitelock

Paul Whitelock is a retired former languages teacher, school inspector and translator, who emigrated to the Serranía de Ronda in 2008, where he lives with his second wife, Rita. He spends his time between Montejaque and Ronda doing DIY, gardening and writing.