Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)
It’s not quite an omelette, not quite a frittata, but something in between. The Tortilla Española, or Spanish Omelette is one of the most ubiquitous Spanish foods there are…it’s appropriate for breakfast, lunch or dinner, snacking, parties, everyday…it’s just…one of those things that is ever present. The thing about Tortilla, is that it isn’t so much about the eggs, but rather about the potatoes, or other fillings that are added to it. The classic tortilla is made up of potatoes, onions and eggs, but there are as many variations as there are imaginations, so feel free to be creative. Creative not only with ingredients, but choice of presentation as well….this can be served in wedges, squares, in a baguette sandwich, alone, accompanied by bread or toast….you get the idea, right? There are an infinite number of ways to make and serve Tortilla…it’s all good. 
Ingredients:
4-6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1 large onion, minced (about 1 cup)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
Preparation:
Heat olive oil over medium, medium high heat, in a medium sized skillet (I like non-stick for this, with rounded sides if possible).
First toast the garlic until just golden, then add onions and sautee until translucent and beginning to brown.
Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently (or until potatoes have cooked through).
Drain any excess oil into a dish and reserve.
Add potato mixture to beaten eggs, and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle a bit of the reserved oil into sautee pan (over medium low heat) and pour in omelette mixture.
Stir mixture around constantly until you can see that it’s beginning to set.
Once you see that the mixture is beginning to set, reduce heat to low, and press in from the sides with a wooden spatula, moving any liquid towards the center (but not stirring–just pressing into the sides of the tortilla).
When the omelette seems to be solid at the sides, get a large plate (bigger than the pan) and cover the pan.
Here comes the trickiest part.
Count to 3 and flip the tortilla onto the plate.
Hope to God you didn’t break it (the plate *or* the tortilla).
Wipe out skillet with paper towels, and drizzle with a bit more oil.
Gently slide (with the help of your wooden spatula) the tortilla into the skillet to cook the other side.
Cover and cook, gently moving the pan occasionally so that the tortilla doesn’t stick, until cooked through.
This is relative…as some people prefer their tortilla firm, and others prefer it just a bit creamy inside. You choose.
Clean the plate you used earlier to flip the tortilla, and repeat “the flip” procedure.
Garnish with parsley if you so desire and serve either hot or cold.
That looks delicious!
Delurking for The Great Mofo Delurk 2007
Comment by Jhianna — October 3, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
It’s so funny you post this. I have been seeing so many Spanish omelettes in blogs lately, so it’s definitely on my “short list” of things to try. Yours looks delicious (of course)!
Comment by elly — October 4, 2007 @ 5:06 am
Thanks so much, Jhianna!
Really? I hadn’t noticed, since I’ve been laptopless (that sounds dirty, doesn’t it? LOL)…my computer time has been drastically reduced.
Thanks for the kind words, Elly! I hope you enjoy Tortilla! 
Comment by nikki — October 4, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
I am spanish(from Spain) and I can confirm your tortilla looks really delicious ! You’ve done a great job. If you want you can try this one:
Tortilla con chorizo y pimientos
Comment by Pilar — October 21, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
Hola Pilar! Muchísimas gracias! Me ha encantado tu web…la tortilla que has hecho tiene una pinta de muerte!
Encantada conocerte. 
Comment by nikki — October 23, 2007 @ 9:53 am
[…] when you flip a second time). To see what a finished tortilla should look like, have a look HERE. Serve as desired. Here I’ve cut the tortilla into cubes to serve as […]
Pingback by canarygirl.com » Tortilla, Frittata, Omelette However you say it, it's delicious! — April 4, 2008 @ 9:18 am