OWEN HART

Tortilla - Espanola-potato and onion
Serves 8 - (Don’t worry if this seems too much, Tortilla keeps well and is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!)

Ingredients
350-450ml of olive oil
1 large Spanish onion chunkily chopped
2.1 -2.4 kg potatoes, more waxy than floury for preference. i.e maris peer, wilja, Nadine, estima. Rough diced 1-2cm
3tsp salt
A twist of pepper
14 eggs

Thoughts
The tortilla will change slightly every day due to the potatoes you have and what time of year it is. This method is of a traditional country style and doesn’t produce an identical looking tortilla every time, though it should be delicious every time!!
Use a large deep (NON-STICK!) frying pan. The deeper the pan the more you have to heap up the potatoes, you really mound them up, so they make a little hill coming out the pan. With a wider shallower pan that’s not necessary as much, though you should definitely fill the pan right to the top.

Method
Heat the oil in the pan on lowset heat, add the onion and then start chopping the potatoes adding them to the pan as you go. It is important the pan isn’t cold when you add the potatoes. Add the salt and pepper. Turn the heat up, give it a stir (with a wooden spoon!), cook for about 5 minutes stir again then turn the heat down to a medium heat. Keep stirring the potatoes every few minutes so they cook evenly. After about 40 minutes the potatoes should be tender. Depending on the variety of potato they’ll be mashed or partially mashed or not mashed at all! They all make good tortilla so don’t worry! Now crack the eggs into a measuring jug and whisk them up thoroughly. Give the potatoes a good stir to make sure none is stuck to the bottom. Turn the heat up to full. Start pouring the egg in slowly, starting around the outside first, easing the egg into the gaps with your spoon, don’t stir it just make spaces to let the egg follow its own path and flow all around every bit of potato. As you do this the outside of the tortilla will set. Turn the pan through 180° so the tortilla cooks evenly. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 3-4 minutes. There will still be raw egg on top but the tortilla will be about half cooked. To flip it, hold a large plate firmly over the pan and in one smooth movement lift the pan up and over so the tortilla is now on the plate with the pan covering it. Put the pan back on the heat and gently slide the tortilla into the pan using the spoon to tuck in the edges. Set over a medium to low heat for another 3-4 minutes turning the pan through 180° after 2 minutes. The tortilla should feel reasonably firm to touch, if you’re worried give it another couple of minutes over a low heat. Repeat the process for flipping the tortilla. It should have a pleasant golden colour not too dark or too pale. Let it cool a little before serving. It should be eaten at room temperature or slightly warm, with alioli.