mayalibre’s Recent Comments

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  p.s. Tortillas

  I think the cooks in those tapas bars are all cheaters.  They do make frittatas -- delicious enough!  No slam on them.  But the 'tortilla' I know, passed down among Spanish women, is a different thing, scruptididdlyumptious all by itself, and not that difficult to make.  But only embellishable within limits.  Frittatas obviously suit the bar patrons much more, similar to how bar drinks of increasingly various colors also abound.  But true homemade tortilla is simply heaven.  I've also noticed at parties it goes REALLY FAST.On When you get fed up with separating trash, make a quick-and-easy Spanish-style tortilla posted 10 months ago 11 Responses

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  Spanish tortilla different from frittata

  kmp, I think your dish actually is a fritatta, whereas a 'tortilla' in Spain is actually quite different. Kurt, I also think you forgot about the part where you pour the oil off the potato and onion mix before you drop them into the egg.  I was lucky enough to have a true Spanish flatmate for about a year when I lived in Egypt.  I also travelled to see her many times in London where she now lives.  I gradually pried the secret of 'tortilla' out of her.  It was always so delicious!  And different from anything else.  Unique, not a frittata at all.

  She would start with more oil than I am normally comfortable using, placing potatoes (mainly) in, and rarely anything else, maybe just a bit of onion, salt and pepper, maybe a sprinkle of an herb.  If the oil is kept at a proper temperature, the potatoes don't fry, or absorb tons of oil like you might imagine.  They sort of simmer in the oil, with little bubbles.

  When the potatoes are 'al dente' as you say, not fully cooked but close, you actually press the oil off the potatoes and keep it.  You can use this same oil for several more tortillas.  Press as much oil as you can out without mooshing the potatoes.

  Then, imagine putting something hot into whisked eggs... you would expect a sudden scrambling.  But again, if the temperature is just right, not too hot, when you dump the potatoes into the egg mix it kinda makes the eggs look transparentish, like pudding.  But it's all smooth, just a little bubbly because its warmish hot.  The ratio is a lot of potato to less egg.  The eggy bit ends up acting as a smooth, sliceable binder between densely suspended potatoes -- yum!  Cold it should slice cleanly, even precisely.  It is so delicious I can't even say.

  I have tried adding other ingredients but none succeed.  I believe it's actually the starchy chemistry of the potato that makes the tortilla work.  Anything that alters that, in relationship to the chemistry of the egg, will make it not work.  So vegetables that add water are obviously out.  Cheese wouldn't work at all.  The only thing besides the little bit of onion/shallot mentioned before that I've managed to have some success with have been olives.  Olive bits.  But again, not too many.

  I hope this inspires you!  I never wrote this all out before, but I remember watching and asking about this many times and finally learning myself.  I haven't actually made a tortilla for a long time.  It might be time to make one now!

  Bon appetit!On When you get fed up with separating trash, make a quick-and-easy Spanish-style tortilla posted 10 months ago 11 Responses