Spanish Tortilla

This week for class I made the Spanish tortilla, which is one of my favorite dishes.  After having it many times last summer, I have been wanting to re-create it, and I was finally able to (kind of).  One of my favorite things about the tortilla is that everyone makes it differently:  sometimes thick, sometimes thin, sometimes with onions, sometimes with meat, or whatever's around the house really.  So, it didn't surprise me that my tortilla didn't turn out exactly how the ones I ate in Spain did.  However, if I do say so myself, it was pretty good.  I was pretty impressed with how it turned out.  I think one of the things that helped was that I followed the example of my family in Spain and used quite a lot of olive oil.  It helped it not stick when I flipped it (which was already challenging enough).  Below is the recipe to try!  It is very simple, but turns out delicious!

La Tortilla de patatas (Spanish Tortilla)

• 1/2 pint of olive oil
•  5 medium (40 oz each) baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 5 eggs
• Salt

Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Try to keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set.

Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelette away from the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelette back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelette to cool, and then cut it into wedges. Season it with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste (optional).

Serve warm or at room temperature.