Yummy In My Tummy: Tortilla española, finalmente!!

In my junior year of college I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain!!! Ole! Arguably the best time of my life. I was learning the language by day and taking in as much of the Spanish culture that I could by night. I was fortunate enough to stay in a home with three other amazing girls Our house mother, Pilar, was the sweetest, little old Spanish woman I had ever met, and at the time ,she was the only little, old Spanish Woman I ever met...Lol).

The life of a Spaniard was so different than I was used to. I didn't have a car, so I had to either walk everywhere (which was great for my figure) or use public transportation (which I had never done in the states). At home, we always ate dinner around 6:00 PM, but in Spain, it is customary to eat dinner after 9:00 PM. The menu consisted of tapas, small bites of food that everyone would share and pass around the table. Now they are a pretty common thing around these parts, but back in 2003, I had never heard of them.

My FAVORITE was the Tortilla Española. Potatoes, and onions are mixed together with eggs for this simple yet delicious egg pie. We would have it as a meal on its own, or as a side dish, cut into small pieces as a tapa, or put on a baguette as a delicious sandwich! What's even better is that Pilar showed me how to make it and now I have been cooking it at home for 10 years, and I think I have finally mastered it!!!

Today, I am going to share with you her recipe and the secret to making the perfect tortilla every time!! Empezamos!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil

3 medium potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)

1 medium onion-sliced

6 whole eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

1) In a medium nonstick saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.

2) Peel and slice potatoes so they are all relatively same size. I like to use my mandolin slicer for this step. I use the 3/16" setting.

3) When oil is hot, add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper to pan and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10-12 minutes.

4) While that is cooking, in a large bowl whisk the eggs together.

5) When potatoes are done, move them from the pan to the bowl with the eggs and give it one quick stir, then immediately add back to the hot pan.

6) Here is the secret AND most important step. You must hold the pan by the handle and shake it back and forth, continuously, for about 5-6 minutes, or until the eggs start to brown underneath. If you skip this step, the eggs will most likely stick to the pan.

*I do this next step over the sink in case I lose some. It is not an easy step.*

7) Take a large non-rimmed plate, remove tortilla from heat, and place plate over top. In one quick movement, flip the pan/plate so the egg pie is upside down. Now carefully slide the tortilla back into the pan.

8) Cook over low-med heat for an additional 3 minutes or until you feel it is cooked all the way through.

9) Transfer to plate and wait at least 10 minutes before slicing. The longer it sits the better. Leftovers are great in the fridge and on a sandwich! Buen provecho!!!