La creatividad, a la tortilla. El más importante plato de la cocina española, en palabras de José Andrés, admite todo tipo de variaciones y todo tipo de ingredientes. Podemos añadirle, como nos sugiere desde el otro lado del Atlántico, unos pimientos del piquillo asados y un poco de atún en conserva. Otra posibilidad, prepararla en menos de cinco minutos con una bolsa de patatas fritas. Mercado Little Spain, nuestra ventana gastronómica en el continente americano, nos invita a quedarnos en casa y a cocinar rápidos y nutritivos platos para nuestra familia. Así sea.
As many of us are in our own homes, safely distanced from our friends and neighbors, we are thinking about satisfying, quick and nourishing, meals to prepare for our families. One of the classic spanish dishes – which Chef José Andrés has called “the most important dish in Spanish cooking – is the Tortilla Española a beautiful and simple potato and egg omelet. It’s a staple at both Mercado Little Spain and our Jaleo restaurants, so we’re sharing our recipe, plus some great variations, so you can prepare this delicious snack en su cocina.
Get creative in the kitchen
Our recipe is only a starting point. You can customize your tortilla using all sort of pantry favorites . Try adding roasting piquillo peppers and Spanish tuna (as show above) with this recipe.
Tortilla de patatas con chips
Have a bag of potato chips handy? Try out this crunchy potato chip omelet – a time saving technique that produces a delicious, quick meal. The Tortilla Española es a versatile dish that can work with just about everything in your kitchen cabinet. So what’s your tortilla del día?
Tortilla española
«The most important dish in Spanish cooking.» – José Andrés
Serves 4
Ingredientes
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil (we recommend José Andrés Foods Arbequina)
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
6 large eggs
Sea salt, to taste
Directions
Start by frying the potatoes: heat 2 cups of the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat until it reaches 250ºF on a candy thermometer. Slowly fry the potatoes until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes on paper towels.
Using an electric mixer or whisk, vigorously beat the eggs in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt until they’re foamy. Add the cooked potatoes to the beaten eggs and let sit for 1 minute.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 6-inch sauté pan over high heat. Once the pan begins to smoke slightly, remove from the heat and pour in the egg-potato mixture. Return the sauté pan to the stove top and reduce the heat to low. The tortilla should puff up like a soufflé. Once it begins to set and the edges turn golden brown, place a plate over the pan and flip the pan and plate together so the tortilla ends up on the plate, uncooked side down. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side down.
Make a small hole in the center of the tortilla to allow the egg in the center to cook. Once the tortilla sets, carefully flip the tortilla back over and allow the center hole to close up. Transfer the tortilla to a platter, season with salt and cut into wedges to serve.
Variation 2: Tortilla with Tuna and Roasted Peppers
Tortilla Española Base Recipe
1 jar of José Andrés White Tuna in Olive Oil, removed from oil and broken apart
2 ounces Idiazábal cheese, grated
4 José Andrés Roasted Piquillo Peppers
Fresh parsley, for garnish
To the base recipe, mix in the tuna and cheese. Proceed with the recipe above. After inverting the half-cooked tortilla onto the plate, place the peppers flat in the pan, and sear for 30 seconds on both sides. Place the tortilla back on top of the peppers so that the uncooked egg forms around the peppers. Once the bottom has firmly set, remove to serving plate, garnish with a few sprigs of fresh parsley, and serve.