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Tortilla española
Spain's thick potato and onion omelette, golden outside and juicy within
A thick omelette of potatoes and onion slowly poached in olive oil, then bound with beaten eggs and set in a frying pan. Confiting the potatoes at a low oil temperature makes them meltingly soft instead of fried, and soaking them in the egg before cooking gives a tortilla that holds together but stays moist.
- Energy
- 458 kcalper serving
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Protein
- 14 g
How was it?
Equipment
- Deep frying pan or sauté pan (26–28 cm) for the confit
- Non-stick frying pan (24 cm) with sloping sides for the tortilla
- Sieve set over a heatproof bowl
- Large mixing bowl and a fork or whisk
- Flat plate or lid at least 2 cm wider than the pan
- Kitchen thermometer (optional)
Before you start
- Peel the potatoes, rinse and dry them, then quarter them lengthwise and slice 3–4 mm thick. Do not rinse after slicing: the surface starch helps bind the tortilla.
- Halve the onion and slice it thinly (3 mm) into half-moons.
- Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead.
- Set the sieve over the bowl next to the stove before the oil goes on.
Method
-
Heat the oil
500 ml olive oilPour the olive oil into the deep frying pan and heat over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, to about 130 °C.
Done when A slice of potato dropped in sends up a steady stream of small bubbles, not a violent spitting fry.
130 °C · 266 °F -
Confit the potatoes and onion
800 g potatoes200 g onion7 g fine saltAdd the potatoes and onion with half of the salt; the oil should almost cover them. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 20–25 minutes, at about 120 °C, turning gently with a slotted spoon every 5 minutes without breaking the slices.
Done when The potatoes are completely tender and break when pressed with the spoon, the onion is soft and pale gold, and only a few edges have taken colour.
Tip If the oil starts to bubble hard or the potatoes brown, lower the heat. You want them poached in oil, not fried crisp.
120 °C · 248 °F -
Drain well
800 g potatoes200 g onion500 ml olive oilTip the potatoes and onion into the sieve over the bowl and leave to drain for 5 minutes. Keep the oil.
Done when Oil has stopped dripping from the sieve and the potatoes look glossy, not wet.
-
Beat the eggs
6 eggs7 g fine saltIn the large bowl, beat the eggs with the rest of the salt for 30 seconds, just until the yolks and whites are combined.
Done when The egg is evenly yellow with a few small bubbles on the surface, but not frothy.
-
Soak the potatoes in the egg
800 g potatoes200 g onion6 eggsAdd the warm potatoes and onion to the eggs and fold gently, breaking a few slices with the fork. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Done when The mixture has thickened slightly and the egg clings to the potatoes, looking creamy rather than runny.
Tip This rest is what makes a cohesive tortilla. The warm potato starts to thicken the egg so it sets evenly in the pan.
-
Heat the tortilla pan
500 ml olive oilPut 2 tablespoons of the drained oil into the non-stick pan and heat over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes.
Done when The oil shimmers and a drop of egg mixture sizzles and sets at the edge at once.
-
Set the first side
800 g potatoes200 g onion6 eggsPour in the egg and potato mixture and spread it level. Shake the pan and run a spatula around the edge for 30 seconds, then lower to medium-low and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Done when The edge is set and golden, the underside slides freely when you shake the pan, and the top is still liquid in the centre.
-
Flip the tortilla
Take the pan off the heat. Cover it with the plate, hold the plate firmly with one hand and turn the pan over in one quick, decisive movement.
Done when The tortilla sits on the plate golden side up, in one piece; a little uncooked egg may run onto the plate.
Tip Do this over the sink the first few times. Hesitating is what breaks the tortilla.
-
Cook the second side
Add 1 teaspoon of the drained oil to the pan, slide the tortilla back in uncooked side down and tuck the edges in with the spatula. Cook over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes for a juicy centre, or 3–4 minutes for a fully set one.
Done when Pressed gently in the middle, the tortilla gives slightly like a sponge for a juicy centre, or feels firm for a set one.
Tip For pregnant women, young children, older people or anyone with a weak immune system, cook it the full 3–4 minutes until no liquid egg remains.
-
Rest and cut
Slide the tortilla onto a clean plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
Done when The surface is evenly golden and the cut face shows soft layers of potato bound with creamy, just-set egg.
Common mistakes
The potatoes are crisp and brown instead of soft.
Fix The oil was too hot. Keep it at about 120 °C on medium-low heat so the potatoes poach slowly.
The tortilla is greasy.
Fix The potatoes were not drained long enough. Give them the full 5 minutes in the sieve before mixing with the eggs.
It falls apart when flipped.
Fix Either the mixture did not rest, or the first side was undercooked. Soak 10 minutes, and flip only when the edge is set and the tortilla slides freely in the pan.
It sticks to the pan.
Fix Use a good non-stick pan, heat the oil properly before the mixture goes in, and shake the pan during the first 30 seconds.
It is dry and rubbery.
Fix The heat was too high or it cooked too long. Use medium-low heat after the first 30 seconds and take it off as soon as the centre is just set.
Serving
Serve warm or at room temperature, in wedges as a main course or in small squares on bread as a tapa. A tomato salad with olive oil and a slice of crusty bread are the usual partners.
Storage and reheating
Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours; it keeps 2 days. Eat it at room temperature (take it out 30 minutes ahead) or warm slices in a covered pan over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not freeze: the potatoes turn watery.
Make ahead
The tortilla is very good made 2–3 hours ahead and served at room temperature. The potatoes can be confited and drained up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; warm them briefly in a pan before mixing with the eggs.
Variations
Without onion (sin cebolla)
Leave out the onion and use 1 kg of potatoes. The tortilla is plainer and slightly firmer.
With green pepper
Confit 1 sliced green Italian pepper (about 120 g) with the potatoes and onion. It adds a gentle, grassy bitterness.
With chorizo
Not vegetarian. Fry 100 g of diced cooking chorizo in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes, drain and fold into the egg with the potatoes.
Vegan
Replace the eggs with 150 g of chickpea flour whisked with 300 ml of water and the same salt; rest it 10 minutes, mix with the potatoes and cook each side 2 minutes longer over medium-low heat.
