Spanish tortilla is wildly popular in Spain. Folks eat it for breakfast, or wrapped in warm buttered bread for an afternoon sandwich. It also shines as tapas (small bites), as we recently served it at a dinner party.
Think of it as a potato frittata with a Spanish accent. It is pure comfort food, and it is amazingly versatile.
A Short (and Hotly Debated) History
Spanish explorers brought potatoes home from the Andes in the 1500s. The tortilla followed sometime after that. From there the history gets weird, and people argue about it. Should it have onion or not? Told you it was hot.
Legend has it that a Basque general, Tomás de Zumalacárregui, whipped up the first one. He supposedly fed his army this cheap, filling dish during the siege of Bilbao. That siege came during the First Carlist War, which broke out when King Ferdinand VII died in 1833.
As envy would have it, the king’s brother, Don Carlos, wanted the crown for himself. We’ll call him His Royal Wannabe.
As fate would have it, the late king had a rightful heir, his daughter Isabella. Eventually push came to shove. Three Carlist wars were fought over forty-three years, ending badly for everyone.
On the bright side, it gave them time to perfect the tortilla.
Serving Ideas
This recipe fills a #8 Griswold cast-iron skillet to perfection. It uses potatoes, onions, green pepper, garlic, ham, cheese, chives, eggs and rosemary.
It makes a wonderfully easy breakfast dish for guests. Serve it with fresh seasonal fruit and hot, crispy croissants. For a light dinner, pair it with a green side salad and a glass of good white Bordeaux.
Tortilla de Patatas
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 25 to 30 minutes Serves: 6
Equipment
- Sauté skillet
- #8 cast-iron skillet
- Knife or cleaver
- Garlic press
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large spoon
- Cheese grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 lb. gold potatoes, sliced thin
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. chives, chopped small
- 1 cup ham, diced (or crispy bacon, or leave it out)
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary, ground
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp. butter, for the skillet
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat the olive oil in the sauté skillet. Sauté the onion and green pepper until they just begin to caramelize.
- Add the minced garlic and stir for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, cayenne, rosemary, chives and ham together.
- Generously coat the cast-iron skillet with butter. Pour in half the egg mixture to cover the bottom.
- Add a layer of potatoes. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and half of the onion, pepper and garlic mixture.
- Add another layer of potatoes, another sprinkling of cheese, and the remaining onion, pepper and garlic mixture.
- Pour the rest of the egg mixture over the top. Cover with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice into wedges. Enjoy!
Tip: If the potatoes still seem firm after 25 minutes, cover the skillet loosely with foil and bake a few minutes longer.
