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It certainly is a poor man or
woman who cannot find a few eggs, a couple of potatoes and
an onion in their store cupboard!
The ever-practical Spaniard
realized this and thus created their marvellous
"tortilla" - an easy-to-make dish that could be
savoured by rich and poor alike.
Not only cheap to make the
tortilla, or Spanish omelette, is immenseley adaptable:
you can eat it hot or cold, depending on the weather and
your mood; you can enjoy a small slice as a
"tapa" (snack) in between meals; or, accompanied
by a multi-coloured mixed salad and crusty, fresh Spanish
bread, you have a marvellous main meal! Should unexpected
guests come knocking at your door ... just whip out the
ever-adaptable toritilla, pour them a glass of smooth,
Spanish wine and they are bound to be delighted!
Unlike the better-known
French omelette which should be made quickly and over a
high heat, the Spanish omelette needs to be cooked more
gently, so that the middle is not too runny. The French
omelette is best eaten straight away and always hot. Its
Spanish counterpart, on the other hand, improves if left
to rest for at least five minutes before eating, keeps
well for a couple of days in the fridge, and can easily be
re-heated in the microwave, unless you prefer it cold.
As with the French
omelette, the Spanish tortilla is made in a frying pan
(preferably non-stick) but, unlike the French version,
both sides need to be cooked. For this reason, it is
possible to buy special tortilla frying pans - a sort of
double pan which allows you to just swish it over and cook
the other side!
I have to say, I prefer the
traditional method of placing a plate on top of the pan,
turning the tortilla out and then returning to the pan to
cook the underside. But, perhaps the simplest method is to
just place the frying pan under the grill to brown the
tortilla.
Whichever way you choose to
prepare it, once cooked, leave it to cool a little, cover
with a large plate, then gently ease the omelette out. It
should be circular, about an inch-and-a-half thick, and it
is usual to cut it in slices or wedges. Having said that,
you can divide it into small cubes, pop a cocktail stick
on top, and serve along with other "bits and
pieces" as apéritifs.
Spanish recipes for
tortilla vary slightly from region to region - also what
you have in the fridge and what you fancy! You can replace
the potato with, say, spinach, leave out the onion, add a
bit more garlic, etc, etc. Just use your imagination!
Below is a recipe for a
traditional potato-and-onion tortilla.
TORTILLA - Spanish Omelette
Ingrediants:
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
with 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium-sized potatoes,
peeled and diced
- Black pepper
- 6 eggs, beaten
Method:
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil
in a pan.
- Add onion, garlic,
pepper and potatoes.
- Gently fry until
golden-brown and potatoes slightly softened.
- Tip potato-and-onion
mixture into bowl containing the beaten eggs.
- Stir and transfer to a
large frying pan containing clean oil.
- Cook over a low heat for
10-15 minutes.
- Transfer pan to a
preheated hot grill until top is browned.
- Alternatively, turn
upside down onto a plate and return to pan to brown
underside.
- Carefully tip onto plate
and slice as you would a cake.
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About
The Author
Linda
Plummer lives on the Costa Blanca, in
Spain, and is webmaster of http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com
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