Tortilla and Mimosas

No one could make a tortilla like my Spanish mother, Pepa.

I've thought of this delectable treat often since I left Spain years ago.

When I found what looked like a pretty standard recipe for tortilla de papas y cebollas in the cookbook Sunny Days, Balmy Nights, from the Young Patronesses of the Opera in Miami, Fla., I wanted see if I've retained any of Pepa's cooking lessons.

In Spain, a tortilla is actually a mix of potatoes, onions, eggs, and copious amounts of olive oil. The only ways it compares to the flour tortillas we buy at the grocery is that both are flat, tasty and relatively cheap.

My potatoes were a little aged, but with some mad knife skills I pared the bad spots right out.

From what I remember and proved true in this cooking endeavor, the potatoes should be sliced rather small - close to the size of pineapple pieces when they are served on pizza. You have to saute/fry them in olive oil for quite a while, along with the onion, to soften them up, before putting them in the eggs and making the actual tortilla.

Cooking is always twice as nice with a little sweetness too. And, this man sooooo knows his way around a kitchen - his guidance and skills might as well be on my ingredient list (for all my endeavors, really).

This was the amazing sauce, or salsa, that I had nothing to do with. I had, however, planted the basil in the garden a month or two ago. We used it in this sauce and it was so reFRESHing.

A tricky part of making this tortilla is sliding it out of the pan and inverting it.

Note: I wasn't the one to do this maneuver.

This is what the finished product looks like....

...and this is how it's served: sliced, covered in the salsa, and preferably with a mimosa.


This whole experience was by far one of my favorite parts of the weekend!








Tortilla de Papas y Cebollas (Spanish Omelet)

ingredients
SAUCE
- 6 tomatoes (I cheated and used canned whole tomatoes - turned out great)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 3 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh basil
- Salt and pepper, freshly ground, to taste

OMELET
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch half-moon shapes (just cut 'em into small little wedges that will turn soft in 20 minutes or so upon frying...)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced into half-moon shapes
- 6 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste


directions
SAUCE
- To prepare sauce using canned tomatoes (NOTE: the book explains how to boil and then peel tomatoes...I am lame and took an easier route,). Slice the tomatoes to make wedges.
- Saute the onion, garlic and bell peppers in the olive oil in a saucepan until the onion is golden brown.
- Stir in the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
***To make sauce ahead, prepare as directed but do not stir in the basil until just before serving.)

OMELET
- To prepare the omelet, heat the olive oil in a 9-inch omelet pan. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown. Remove the garlic and discard (or use in garlic butter for other purposes - YUM).
- Add the potatoes to the pan and cook over medium heat for 5+ minutes. Add the onion and cook until tender, stirring constantly.
- Beat the eggs with a fork in a large bowl until slightly foamy. Add salt and pepper.
- Spoon the potato mixture with a slotted spoon into the eggs and mix well, leaving the drippings in the pan (***Make sure the potatoes have softened and aren't crunchy before you do this --- cook them as long as it takes, until they're soft.)
- Pour the egg mixture into the drippings in the omelet pan, adding additional oil if needed to prevent the eggs from sticking. (Didn't need extra oil....)
- Spread the egg mixture evenly in the pan and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan.
- Gently run a spatula around the edge of the omelet to loosen as the eggs begin to cook. Continue to cook until the eggs leave the side of the pan.
- Invert a plate over the pan and flip the omelet onto the plate.
- Slide the omelet back into the pan to brown the other side.
- Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce.



***Pepa would always serve this tortilla cold, on white bread, as a sort of sandwich...also delicious!