Tortilla Española — Spanish Potato Omelette
Slow-confit potatoes and onion folded into eggs and slid in and out of a small pan. The interior should be barely set — jugosa. Five ingredients, total technique.
Slowly poach 600 g of thinly sliced potatoes and 1 onion in 300 ml of olive oil over low heat for 25 minutes until tender but not coloured. Drain (save the oil). Beat 6 eggs with salt, fold in the potatoes off the heat, rest 10 minutes. Pour into a hot 22 cm pan with a slick of the saved oil, cook 3 minutes, flip with a plate, cook 1–2 more for jugosa. Rest 5 minutes before cutting.
- Poached, not fried — the potatoes confit gently in oil and stay creamy. They should be tender when pierced.
- Eggs to potato ratio is what makes or breaks it: ~6 eggs to 600 g potatoes for the proper custardy middle.
- Jugosa (juicy, lightly set centre) vs cuajada (fully set) — Madrid-Bar-style is jugosa. Pull it earlier than you think.
Equipment
- 22 cm non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet
- Large flat plate (bigger than the pan)
- Spider or slotted spoon
Nguyên liệu
Tortilla
- 600 g Yukon gold or Spanish-style waxy potatoes, peeled, sliced 3 mm thick
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 300 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for poaching; save it after
- 5 g fine salt
- 6 large eggs
- 3 g fine salt, for the eggs
Cách làm
- BƯỚC01
Heat the olive oil in a 22 cm skillet over low heat. Add the potatoes and onion, sprinkle with the 1 tsp salt, and submerge as well as you can. They will give off water and bubble gently. Cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and just translucent. They should not brown — the heat is too low for colour.
- BƯỚC02
Tip the contents into a colander set over a bowl, catching all that golden oil. The oil is now profoundly aromatic — save it for future cooking. Let the potatoes drain briefly.
- BƯỚC03
Beat the eggs with the ½ tsp salt until just combined — no foamy whipping. Fold the warm drained potatoes through the eggs gently, breaking some of them up but leaving most intact. Rest 10 minutes — the eggs absorb starch and the mixture thickens.
- BƯỚC04
Return 2 tbsp of the reserved olive oil to the 22 cm skillet and set over medium-high. When it shimmers, pour in the egg-potato mixture in one go. Lower heat to medium. Tap the pan against the burner to settle the surface. Cook 3 minutes — the underside should be set and just gold, the top still loose.
- BƯỚC05
Slide the tortilla onto a plate that is wider than the pan. Place the empty pan upside-down over the plate, and in one confident motion invert the whole thing. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked-side down. Tuck the edges in with a spatula.
- BƯỚC06
Cook the second side for 1–2 minutes. Press the middle gently — it should still give. For traditional jugosa, pull while the centre is barely set. Slide onto a clean plate.
- BƯỚC07
Let the tortilla rest 5 minutes before cutting. It firms slightly and the texture settles. Eat warm or room temperature with crusty bread.
Make ahead
Make the tortilla 4 hours ahead and hold at room temperature. The flavour develops and the texture sets just right. Refrigeration dulls the eggs — bring back to room temp before serving.
Storage
24 hours at room temperature is acceptable in Spain (and historically how it was eaten). For longer keeping, refrigerate 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Variations
Cuajada (fully set)
Cook the second side 4 minutes total — the middle fully sets. Less traditional in Madrid but the way many home cooks make it. Slices cleanly for tapas.
Without onion (controversial)
Skip the onion entirely. The two camps in Spain have famously argued for decades — Marisol's vote: with onion always, but with-or-without is your kitchen, your right.
Tortilla de bacalao
Add 200 g flaked desalted bacalao (salt cod) to the egg mixture. A Bilbao classic.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What potato should I use?
Yukon gold (Northern European waxy types), or Spanish patata Monalisa or Kennebec. Russet/Idaho potatoes break down into mush — avoid for this dish.
How do I flip without disaster?
Use a plate that is at least 2 cm bigger than the pan rim, and commit to one fast motion. Holding the plate against the pan with one flat hand and inverting both at once works. If you are nervous, do a 'half-flip' — slide onto a plate, then slide back uncooked-side down. Less drama, same result.
Why is mine watery in the middle?
Either you poured the egg in before letting it rest with the potatoes (10-minute rest matters), or you pulled too early. Aim for the egg in the centre to be barely-set custard, not raw liquid.
Can I use less oil?
You can poach in 200 ml if you commit to a smaller pan and stir frequently. Less oil means less even poaching. The oil is reusable for a month so use a generous amount once and benefit later.
Hot or room temperature?
Both correct. Bars in Madrid serve it room temperature, cut into squares with toothpicks (pincho de tortilla). Home cooking eats it warm with bread.
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