Food & Drink

A Spanish Tortilla

In Spanish, tortilla means a flat cake—but don’t confuse a tortilla from Spain with the flat corn or flour variety from Mexico. The Spanish tortilla combines eggs, potatoes, and olive oil into a savory cake that can be enjoyed hot or cold, day or night, as a main course or as a tapa.

Photo © Susan Goldman

TORTILLA WITH POTATOES, ARTICHOKES & PEPPERS

Serves 4 to 6 as a tapa, 2 as a light main dish

About 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
½ medium-size onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large boiled Yukon Gold potato, quartered and thinly sliced
3 marinated artichoke hearts (from a can or jar), rinsed, patted dry, and thinly sliced
¼ cup sliced piquillo peppers or roasted red bell peppers
4 large, very fresh eggs, preferably organic
2 tablespoons chicken stock or broth
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until limp but not brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potato and cook, stirring gently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the artichokes and piquillo peppers and cook, stirring, for another 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and let cool completely.

2. Place the eggs, chicken stock, and a few small pinches of salt in a medium-size bowl and beat until just scrambled. Add the potato mixture and mix until well combined. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

3. Heat 5 teaspoons of the remaining olive oil in a heavy 8-inch skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat until it is just beginning to smoke. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and flatten it with a spatula until the top is fairly even. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, moving and shaking the skillet, running a thin spatula around the edge and sliding it into the middle so that some of the egg runs under. Cook the tortilla in this fashion until the top is a little wet but not liquid, about 5 minutes.

4. Run the thin spatula under the tortilla to make sure that no part of the bottom is stuck to the skillet. Top the skillet with a rimless plate slightly larger than the skillet and, using oven mitts, quickly invert the tortilla onto the plate. If the skillet looks dry, add a little more olive oil. Carefully slide the tortilla back into the skillet, uncooked side down. Shake the skillet to straighten the tortilla, and push the edges in with the spatula. Reduce the heat to very low and cook the tortilla until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Invert the tortilla onto a serving plate and pat the top with a paper towel to get rid of excess oil. Let it cool a little, then cut the tortilla into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. To serve as a tapa, cut the tortilla into squares and serve with toothpicks.

With over 300 recipes from taberna owners and Michelin-starred chefs, farmers and fishermen, winemakers and bakers, Anya von Bremzen collects the best of Spanish cuisine.