Tortilla Espanola (Potato Omelette)

Walk into any tapas bar in Spain and you’ll find this on the counter, cut into thick wedges, sitting at room temperature, waiting for you.

Tortilla española is the national dish that needs no introduction back home, but deserves one everywhere else. It’s nothing more than potatoes, onions, garlic, eggs, and good olive oil, but the way those five ingredients come together is something close to alchemy.

New potatoes get sliced thin and slow-cooked with sweet onions in a generous pool of extra-virgin olive oil until everything is soft and golden. Then beaten eggs get poured over the top and the whole thing bakes until just set, with a lightly browned surface and a tender, almost custardy interior.

Let it cool, flip it out onto a platter, and slice into wedges. That’s how they do it in Madrid, and that’s how you should do it too.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the best extra-virgin olive oil you can find. It’s not just cooking fat here, it’s a primary flavour.
• Keep the heat low when cooking the potatoes and onions. You’re gently confiting them, not frying. They should be silky, not crispy.
• Let the tortilla rest a full 5 minutes after baking before inverting. It needs time to set or it’ll fall apart.
• Serve at room temperature, never straight from the oven. The flavours open up as it cools and the texture firms to just the right sliceability.