Lighter tortilla española (Spanish potato omelette)
50 min · 19 g protein · 294 cals / serving
A thick, golden Spanish potato omelette with a soft, just-set middle: tender potato slices and slow-cooked sweet onion folded into eggs, browned on both sides in a skillet and cut into fat wedges. The potatoes are simmered first instead of fried in a cup of oil, so two teaspoons of olive oil give it its flavour. Eat it warm or at room temperature, with a salad of tomatoes on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 2 oz gold potatoes, peeled, in thin slices (3 mm, 1/8 inch)
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tsp olive oil, extra virgin, divided
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 5 large eggs
- 8 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Tomato salad
- 4 large tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Put the potato slices in a pan, cover with water, add half the salt and simmer 6–8 minutes, until just tender when poked with a knife but not breaking. Drain well and spread out to steam dry.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 24 cm (9 1/2-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onion slowly, stirring now and then, for 12–15 minutes until soft, sweet and pale golden. Add the potatoes for the last 3 minutes and fry gently so they take on a little colour.
- Beat the eggs, egg whites, pepper and the remaining salt in a large bowl. Tip in the hot potatoes and onion, stir and leave 10 minutes so the potatoes soak up some egg.
- Wipe the skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and pour in the mixture, smoothing the top. Cook 5–6 minutes, running a spatula round the edge, until the bottom is golden and the sides set. Put a flat plate on top, flip the tortilla onto it in one confident move and slide it back into the pan. Cook 3–4 minutes more, until a skewer in the centre comes out with no runny egg (160°F).
- Slide onto a board and rest 5 minutes. Dress the tomatoes with the vinegar, a pinch of salt and the parsley, and serve with wedges of tortilla.
Good to know
Onion or no onion?
Spain argues about it endlessly. With onion it is sweeter and juicier; without, it is pure potato and egg, at about the same score. Both are authentic; this one sides with the onion.
I am nervous about the flip.
Use a plate wider than the pan and do it over the sink. If it breaks, slide it back and push it into shape with the spatula; nobody can tell once it is browned. You can also finish the top under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes instead.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Spaniards often eat it at room temperature, and it keeps 2 days in the fridge. Cut into squares for a lunchbox or a picnic.
Per
- Calories
- 68
- Protein
- (27%)
- 4 g
- Fat
- (30%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (43%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 182 mg
More breakfast
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1174 kcal goes into the pot and 1896 g of ingredients comes out as about 1720 g of food: 68 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.