Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato and Onion Omelette)
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Potato and onion are poached slowly in olive oil until silky-soft, then bound with beaten egg and cooked gently into a thick, golden Spanish omelette. It's equally good served warm, at room temperature or cold.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Heat the oil. Warm the oil in the frying pan over medium heat until a slice of potato dropped in sizzles gently rather than aggressively. A moderate, steady temperature is what poaches the potatoes rather than frying them crisp.
- 2
Poach the potatoes and onion. Add the potatoes and onion and cook at a gentle bubble, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes until meltingly tender but barely coloured. Cooking slowly in oil rather than hot oil gives the classic soft, silky tortilla texture instead of crisp chips.
- 3
Drain. Drain the potatoes and onion in a sieve set over a bowl, keeping the flavoured oil for cooking the tortilla.
- 4
Combine with the eggs. Beat the eggs with the salt until frothy, then stir in the warm potatoes and onion. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes so the potato can soak up some of the egg, which helps the finished tortilla hold together when it's turned out.
- 5
Start cooking. Wipe out the pan, heat 2 tbsp of the reserved oil over medium-high, then pour in the mixture and shake the pan for 30 seconds to settle it. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 4-5 minutes, running a spatula round the edge, until the sides are set and the base is golden.
- 6
Flip. Cover the pan with a flat plate larger than the pan and invert in one confident, swift move so the tortilla lands on the plate. Slide it back into the pan to cook the other side.
- 7
Finish cooking. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until just set — for a firmer centre, give it 2-3 minutes longer. The centre should reach at least 71°C, or show no liquid egg at all, if serving anyone vulnerable to undercooked eggs.
- 8
Rest and serve. Let the tortilla rest for 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature; resting lets the egg finish setting gently without the heat of the pan.
Storage
Tortilla keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Serve cold or at room temperature, or reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat until piping hot throughout. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3.8 g protein per 100 kcal, about 15% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low sugars: 2.4 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 138 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- 25 cm non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan with sloping sides
- sieve over a heatproof bowl
- large bowl
- flat plate larger than the pan
- flexible spatula
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 294 kcal |
| Protein | 11.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.6 g |
| of which sugars | 3.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 16.5 g |
| of which saturates | 3.5 g |
| Fibre | 3.3 g |
| Salt | 1.23 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
