Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Tortilla Espanola

I've been busy hosting dinner parties and it's been fun. I enjoy hosting friends and family; this week I've been doing it on a weekly basis. I like to cook foods that make people feel special which can some times be time consuming. But because I work full time and have a packed schedule of daily meditation, yoga, gardening, writing, blogging, cooking, cleaning house, etc. I like to cook food that is tasty, fuss free, and allows me to be an attentive host. Apologies for the less than ideal picture.

So easy and tasty, it's one of my favorite dishes to make on the fly. Supplement with a green salad with avocado, tomatoes and pomegranate, and a dense wheat bread with cheese, and you have the perfect quick dinner party meal. You probably the ingredients for all three of these dishes in your kitchen now. This meal is guaranteed to fly off the table; there were no leftovers.

I previously blogged about this dish back in 2006, using Deborah Madison's recipe. Mark Bittman was my chef this week. His recipe is more simple with fewer ingredients. I love this one too. The eggs were moist and the potato perfectly cooked through. Some of the potatoes on top were a little crunchy, like potato chips and they were yummy, really. Next time, I think I will add a dash of chili flakes for a little heat. I couldn't stop picking at it until the guests arrived.

Makes at least 4 servings

45 minutes or less
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound waxy red or white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices (I didn't peel)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 red pepper, stemmed, peeled if desired, seeded and sliced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Preparation
1. Place about half the olive oil in a large oven proof skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium. Add the potato slices and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook, turning gently from time to time, until they soften, about 20 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon.

2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, followed by the onion and red pepper, and cook, stirring occassionally, until nice and soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. Return potatoes to the skillet, and turn the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, turning with spatula, for about 5 more minutes. Beat the eggs wiht parsley.

4. Turn the heat to low and pour the eggs over the potatoes, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. Transfer from the oven and bake until the mixture is set, about 10 minutes more. Remove the pan and cool to room temperature before cutting into chunks wedges. Serve.

Bittman calls for first cooking the potatoes, and then the onions and red pepper separately. Not sure why. This takes more time than necessary but I followed his recipe exactly except that I had two skillets working simultaneously. Below I present easy modifications.

My modifications. I thought steps 1 and 2 could be combined to save time in one very large skillet. First cook potatoes and onions together, and then in the last 5 minutes add red pepper. Then continue with the garlic, and the remainder of the recipe. I felt that my potatoes were soft enough so I didn't cook the potatoes more in Step 3. Rather, I jumped right to adding the eggs. I think this will save you time. Something we can all use a little more of, no?!

25 comments:

Joanne said...

I'm a fan of simple, easy food also, especially with my schedule! This sounds perfect!

Katerina said...

It is so nice to have people for lunch or dinner. I used to do it very often in the past, but now with a small child is not that easy. Your tortilla looks very fluffy.

Rita said...

We were in Spain a few yers ago and they served this in every tapa bar. We often would go there for lunch.I really love your recipe. I will try it soon and make my husband a happy man; thanks.
Rita

Pam said...

I love this recipe - it looks hearty and delicious.

Tasha said...

Mmm. This sounds great. I just love meals like this!

Carol said...

Looks fantastic! I love your modifications to make it even simpler! Have to make this one night, definitely! Thanks!

Hannah said...

I've never hosted a party at my place since moving out, but I'm used to helping my mum out back at their place! :D I've also never made a tortilla espanola before. Clearly I need to get my game on! :D

Joie de vivre said...

I'm reading this too close to dinner! It looks phenomenal. I like how you made it in your cast iron skillet. Thank you, as always, for visiting!

♥peachkins♥ said...

I love easy and delicious food as well!

redmenace said...

I like fuss free too. A lot. Looks wonderful!

Julie M. said...

This looks like a simple yet elegant dish. Perfect for company! I love entertaining as well. I'm gearing up for a dinner party this weekend. Have a great week!

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...

Yay for simple! This looks hearty and full of flavor!

chow and chatter said...

looks wonderful lucky guests :-)

Ameena said...

I wish I could find more time to entertain but you are absolutely right that if I make it simpler then it would be possible! This is a great recipe and I'm sure it would be a hit.

Now I want to visit Spain!

El said...

This looks incredibly tasty. I wish I had some right now!

veena said...

this is very inviting!!!!!

Pushpa said...

Awesome Tortilla Espanola...simplea and delicious.

Pushpa @ simplehomefood.com

Daisy Roshan said...

nice recipe...a quickie indeed..

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I love dishes like this! How nice of you to entertain your friends and family!

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious. I am not a fan of eggs but I love eating them in frittatas and omelets. This would be great with some crusty bread. :)

Joyti said...

The dish looks great. YUM!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I love simple, easy food when I entertain too so I can have fun along with everyone else. Your Spanish tortilla is perfect for family and friends. Lovely photo.
Sam

Fresh Local and Best said...

I am with you on having a good set of simple recipes to fit into busy weeknights. This looks so good, and most importantly is satisfying after a long day.

Lawyer Loves Lunch said...

I can't believe you do so many things and STILL have time to throw regular dinner parties. You are super woman! And any dish that has crispy potatoes on top is a winner in my books! :)

Unknown said...

Wow, this looks very tempting. I wanted to include eggs as part of my everyday meal, let me try this. thanks for the recipe.