tortilla de patatas revisited

I had a surplus of free-range eggs today and decided to do something about it. The first thing that came to mind was to make a tortilla de patatas, which is something I don’t make often enough. So I went ahead with making one and suddenly realised… hey, this is way different to how I used to make them. A quick check on the first tortilla recipe I posted here in 2010 proved the point. I mean, both recipes are valid, but my love (and knowledge) of extra virgin olive oil has steadily increased over the years and this latest tortilla recipe shows that. My experience of other tortillas from different parts of Spain has also increased and so, without noticing, I had been adapting my tortillas at home based on different ones I’ve tried and enjoyed and I have discovered that, frankly, there are a gazillion ways of making this “simple” potato omelette.

Today’s tortilla was a bit more elaborate, mostly in the time involved. Caramalised onions, potatoes slowly “poached” in evoo… but you could also just sautée some onions and cook the potatoes more quickly in less oil by covering them with a lid. Up to you. Unlike some tortilla purists out there, I really don’t think there is a “wrong” way of making a tortilla de patatas other than it MUST be flipped. If you finish it in the oven or under a grill it’s a frittata. Sorry, them’s the rules. Anyhow this is how I did it today and omg it was so good.

Update: I’ve added an extra “trick” of using extra yolks. Apparently it’s what all the bars and restaurants in Santiago do.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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spinach & garbanzos with fried eggs

garbanzos and spinach

The other day I had a bag of fresh baby spinach that needed using up so I had a quick look online for some “spinach and egg” inspiration and found this, which as it turns out is a typical Spanish dish. I hadn’t planned on making a stew, let alone something with garbanzos, but this looked interesting and so after a few adjustments to the recipe I’d found I decided this would make a nice meal. And it was! I used chicken broth but you can swap that for veggie broth if you want a vegetarian dish. Serves two but just double the recipe for more people or to have some tasty leftovers the next day.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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how to peel hard-boiled eggs without peeling

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2gYHJNT3Y&feature=relmfu”]

A while back I posted a video that showed us how to peel a head of garlic in less than 10 seconds (still haven’t tried that one). And now… well, I’m sure you’ve read the title. Though I’m thinking this is only a good method if you are peeling (without peeling) an egg for yourself. You’ll see why.

huevos rotos


Huevos rotos (literally “broken eggs” in Spanish) is a very traditional dish with many variations, but all including perfectly crispy fried eggs with soft yolks and fried potatoes. The ones you see below include jamón and chorizo Ibérico, caramalised onions and shaved truffle. The one you see above is my first attempt at making this at home. I used chorizo criollo and added some pimentón piquante as my favourite version so far (from Vineria San Telmo) includes spicy chorizo with lots of pimentón inside, which blends perfectly with the hot egg yolk and fried potatoes.

I served it with a tomato and spring onion salad, both of which are just coming into season now, and it was a great side dish that added a fresh touch and balanced the meal out quite nicely.

[huevos rotos at Gusto Ristobar, Vineria San Telmo & El Gallinero de Sandra]

Ingredients and instructions below…

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tortilla de patatas

How could I have not put up a recipe for tortilla de patatas before now? It really is an easy and very versatile dish. This is your basic potato & onion version, which actually would have been prettier with a bit of chopped roasted red pepper tossed in. But really, the possibilities are somewhere this side of endless. Pick a filling you like and have fun. Spinach, onion & red pepper tortilla is also one of my faves, as is one made with just grated courgette and later topped with cheese and white pepper and put under the grill to finish. It also makes a great “butty” with sliced tomato and salsa az (see below).

Ingredients and instructions below…

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huevos rancheros al benedict

This one doesn’t really need a recipe. Just something I threw together this evening and it was so fast and delicious that I thought I’d share it here. A sort of eggs benedict/huevos ranchero combination. So, just toast a flour tortilla and then  spread some of The Sauce on it, add some wilted spinach, a fried egg and a dollop of tomato hot sauce.

Roll it up and … yum!

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