Spanish Cuisine #8: Tortilla de patatas

Here comes one of my favourite recipes, if not the favourite one, from the Spanish cuisine. Or at least it used to be so until I decided to try and prepare it myself. Perhaps it is a sort of test which must be passed in order to be regarded as a true Spanish cook. Anyway, though I have tremendously failed this test so far, the tortilla is still a delicious dish which I keep eating whenever I can. Before getting down to the real cooking work, it may be added that, though it is normally referred to as tortilla, the complete name would be tortilla de patatas, as another form of preparing it (in a simpler version) is called tortilla francesa (basically what is universally known as omelette).

As for most of the Spanish classical dishes, the origins of tortilla are not very clear. Despite being mentioned in the chronicles of the conquistadores of South America (among which the one of Cortes himself), indeed, the current recipe of this dish was probably not codified until the end of the XVIII century. Its former versions, indeed, probably consisted in simple omelettes, perhaps featuring some more ingredients but not the one which is fundamental for the current preparation, namely potatoes. According to some legends, instead, the tortilla de patatas was invented in the area of Bilbao during the first decades of the XIX century, while some others situate its origins in Extremadura some years before. At any rate, the first written document mentioning it appeared in Navarra in 1817.

The above-mentioned document apparently included tortilla among the dishes commonly eaten by poor people. Indeed, the recipe consists in a few simple and cheap ingredients. Nevertheless, its preparation is not to be taken for granted at all, as I found out at my expense. And yet, this characteristic dish, whose origins are rooted in the popular tradition, is really charming, at least from my point of view, and fully represents the essence of Spanish cuisine: substance, simplicity, fullness of taste. Anyway, here are the doses for the preparation of a tortilla (which could be a quite consistent meal for 2 people, but may also be intended as a second course, in which way it could be enough for 4 people):

• Ingredients: 150 grams of olive oil, 4 potatoes, 6 eggs, 100 grams of onion, a pinch of salt.
• Time for preparation: 45 minutes.
• Difficulty: Medium/li>.

After peeling the potatoes, wash them and cut them into thin slices. Put some oil in a frying pan and leave the potatoes there on a low heat. After a few minutes, add the onion (also cut into slices) and leave the mixture there until the potatoes have acquired a darker colour (they must not be fried, but quite softened by the oil. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl, adding a pinch of salt to them.

In a smaller frying pan, pour a couple of spoonfuls of oil and add the eggs and the mixture of potatoes and onions. Leave it on a low heat, waiting for a few minutes until the lower part of the tortilla starts solidifying, the fatal moment of turning it upside down will have come. It is probably the only delicate point of the preparation, but it must be done really carefully, especially the first time. Normally, the operation is performed with the help of a special plate, but a common one may also be used. The operation may be repeated some more times, until the tortilla will finally be quite gilded (and its taste really mellow).

Actually, the preparation does not seem very difficult but... easier said than done! As a matter of fact, indeed, neither of my two attempts to prepare a decent tortilla has been successful. I guess the reason for my failures have been due to various reasons: wrong balance between the ingredients, inexact estimation of the right cooking time, unskillful performance in the capsizing operation... On the basis of my unfortunate experience, here are some tips which I hope you may find of some use:

• use a small-sized frying pan (it will help the tortilla in the solidification process);
• do use a good quantity of oil for the final part of the preparation (in order to prevent the tortilla to adhere to the frying pan);
• do not exceed in the quantity of potatoes (maybe it could be a good idea to dispose a first layer, adding then most of the beaten eggs and finally adding some more potatoes, according to the quantity needed);
• do not wait too much time before turning the tortilla upside down (otherwise, the lower part will probably adhere to the pan).

Finally, it is quite interesting to point out that this dish has become so deep-rooted in the Spanish tradition that several idiomatic expressions make reference to it. Volverse la tortilla (something happening quite unexpectedly) Dar vuelta a la tortilla (achieve turning things around in a difficult situation) and Para hacer la tortilla hay que romper los huevos (no pain no gain, that is no good thing is normally achieved without effort). Well, I have not much more to add apart from wishing you all good luck, hoping that your attempts in preparing the dish will be more successful than mine!

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