A Spanish Tortilla is one of the most quintessential dishes in Spanish cuisine. But if you ever visit Spain, please do not ask for a Spanish omelet or Spanish Tortilla… because a “madrileño” might reply you that ALL tortillas in Spain are indeed Spanish tortillas.
That’s what happened to us when visiting the island of Mallorca. Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. In Puerto Rico, we eat a sweet bread original to Spain and specifically to Mallorca, that we just simply call “mallorcas”. When my mom asked where we could buy some “pan de mallorca”, the gentelman replied: “All breads in Mallorca are “pan de mallorca”.
Which made me think how many other food items we traditional know with the name of the region they originated from, but if you go to that country/city, no one will know them by that same name… here are a few I could think of:
| If you visit: | Do not ask for: | Instead, call it: |
| Mallorca, Spain | Pan de Mallorca or a Mallorca | Ensaimada |
| Spain | Spanish Tortilla | Tortilla de Patatas |
| France | French Fries | Frites |
| France | French Toast | Pain Perdu |
| France | French green beans | Haricots verts |
| France | French Bread | Baguette |
| Switzerland | Swiss Cheese | Emmentaler |
| Belgium | Belgian Waffle | gaufre de Liege or suikerwafel |
| Greece | Greek Salad | horiatiki |
| Turkey | Turkish Delight | Loukoum |
| Poland | Polish Sausage | kielbasa |
Although, if you’re vegetarian… you shouldn’t be ordering that last one at all.
Notice that the title of this post is Spanish Tortilla and not Spanish omelet… why, because traditionally a Spanish omelet or Tortilla is made with potatoes, onions and eggs. And even though some vegetarians consume eggs, the line I practice does not.
So my version of a Spanish Tortilla is egg-less. And I ate a LOT of potatoes testing recipes to achieve a similar consistency of a tortilla without using tofu or soy products… I wanted to use ingredients right out of my pantry and that no one has to go out and buy specifically for this. And to make things even easier and with less oil, we’re baking it in the oven, instead of making it stovetop.
SPANISH TORTILLA
3 medium potatoes, russet or Idaho work best here… 1 small onion, sliced thinly 1 garlic clove, minced About ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese About 2 tbs breadcrumbs Spanish Olive oil – about 3tbs or so… remember I do not measure much Canola oil Spray Salt and pepper to taste
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onions. Add the garlic clove, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Spray a medium sized pyrex dish with Canola Oil Spray and sprinkle with about 1 tbs of breadcrumbs. Shake the pyrex so the breadcrumbs coat the dish as much as possible… just as if you were flouring a pan to bake a cake… Set aside.
- Using a mandoline, slice as thinly as possible the potatoes. Place in a bowl and add about 2 tbs of olive oil, the grated parmesan cheese, the onions, some additional salt and pepper. Toss well to combine the potatoes, onions and seasonings.
- Place the potatoes and onions into the breaded pyrex dish. Place them with your hands trying to create layers after layers of potato and onion. It does not need to be perfect, but try to lay them all flat.
- Sprinkle some added breadcrumbs over the top and add a bit more parmesan cheese to create a nice crust on top.
- Because I do this in a toaster oven, I never pre-heat… but place it in a 400F oven for about 1 hour. If you feel the top is browning too fast, just cover with a piece of aluminum foil with parchment paper underneath so the aluminum does not touches the food.
The potatoes collapse onto each other and create this creamy consistency… it’s not a traditional Tortilla de Patatas, but it sure tastes like that… Buen Provecho.
KarmaFree Cooking 