Tortilla de Patatas

It occurs to me that my upbringing with a mom who loved to cook and feed people, and my travels to Spain and the rest of Europe, have given me a rather large repertoire of dishes I love to cook, as well as my family loves to eat.
One of the least expensive dishes is Tortilla de Patatas – translated from Spanish to English – Potato Omelette.
There are a lot of variations (as with many dishes), but this is a favorite at the Spanish table, and also in their Tapas Bars.

When made correctly, the Spanish tortilla is a delicious half-inch thick “cake” of fried potatoes mixed with fried eggs and onions. After cooking, the tortilla can be cut into pizza-like triangles to serve 4-6 people, or cut into squares to give a whole group a bite-sized toothpick sample.

Tortilla de Patatas

1 cup olive oil
four large potatos (peel and cut into small pieces about 2mm thick)
salt to taste
one large onion, thinly sliced
four large eggs.

Some people add thin slices of red pepper together with the onion.

Heat the oil in a 9-inch skillet, add potato pieces, one slice at a time so that they don’t stick. Alternate layers of potato and onion. COOK slowly, medium flame. DO NOT FRY!! Turn occasionally until potatoes are tender, but NOT brown. They must be loose, not “in a cake”.

Beat eggs in a large bowl with a fork. Salt to taste. Drain potatoes. Add potatoes to beaten eggs, pressing them so that eggs cover them completely. Let sit for 15 minutes. Heat 2 tbsps of the oil in large skillet. Add potato-egg mixture, spreading quickly. Lower the heat to medium-high. Shake pan to prevent sticking (crucial step!!) When potatoes start to brown, put a plate on top skillet and flip to cook other side, adding another tbsp of oil. Brown on the other side. Can flip three or four times for better cooking.

I like to serve it with a light salad and “Pa amb tomaquet”