A classic and universally loved Spanish treasure - Potato tortilla is everything you need and more. My recipe features a marvellous addition, tuna! Learn why this makes ALL the difference...
5medium potatoes (peeled and cut into thin slices)
1medium onion (halved and thinly sliced)
1 1/2cuplight olive oil
1tbspfresh oregano or thyme (chopped)
Salt & pepper
1jar good quality tuna in olive oil
Instructions
Pour the oil into a deep frying pan and heat over a moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the onion and all the potatoes to the oil and shake the pan gently to form a single layer. The potatoes should be just submerged. Add a little oil if needed.
The potatoes and onion shouldn't be vigorously frying, more a gently bubbling, so adjust the heat if they're frying like crazy. We're trying to cook them without crisping or browning - confit, if you're fancy.
Cook the potatoes until soft. The time depends how thickly you cut the slices, so could be between 5-8 minutes.
Once they're cooked through, drain through a sieve and tip onto paper towels. Move them to a bowl quickly as they WILL stick to the paper towels if you leave them as I've discovered on many occasions.
Set aside to cool completely.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl until well combined.
Add the cooked potato and onions and oregano. Drain the tuna (keeping the oil) and flake gently into the eggs. Season generously with salt & pepper. This can take a fair amount of salt (about 1+ teaspoon).
Stir gently and set aside.
Preheat your oven grill.
Heat a 10"/25cm deep, cast iron or non-stick (OVEN SAFE) frying pan over a moderate heat.
Pour in about 2 tablespoons olive oil from the tuna and heat til hot.
Pour in the egg mix and let it sit for 30 seconds, before bringing in the edges with a wooden spoon to move the egg mix into the gaps to help it cook. Shake the pan a little to re-distribute the potatoes evenly.
Repeat this for 2-3 minutes.
We're going to cook the rest of the tortilla from the top. You CAN flip it, but it's too traumatic and this is just as effective. Place the pan under the hot grill and let it cook until the top is well browned. Give the pan a shake and if it feels completely set, you're done.
Let the tortilla cool for 20 minutes, Release it from the sides of the pan if needed then pop a large plate on top of the pan and carefully flip it over, trying not to display utter terror in your eyes, to get it on the plate!
Easy! Did you drop it? Did the dog eat it?