Spanish Tortilla
Thick Spanish potato and egg omelet with a soft, slightly runny center.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cook/bake time
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 1131 kcal
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cooking & baking
- 35 min
Thick Spanish potato and egg omelet with a soft, slightly runny center. The potatoes are not fried but gently confited in plenty of olive oil until they almost fall apart, and this gives the tortilla its incomparably creamy texture. Warm, lukewarm or cold as a tapa, it is always right.
Why this works
Confiting means cooking in fat at 60 to 80 °C, which is far below frying temperature. In this range, the potato starch gelatinizes without water suddenly evaporating and forming a crust. The potatoes become soft right to the core and fall apart easily, which gives the tortilla its creamy binding. At 170 °C they would be crispy on the outside and firm on the inside, and the tortilla would have nothing to hold it together.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Confit the potatoes
Heat the olive oil in a pan to about 130 °C, which is well below frying temperature. Add the potato slices and onions and let them gently steep for twenty minutes without sizzling strongly. They should become soft and almost fall apart and under no circumstances brown. This is the core of the recipe.
- 2
Drain
Remove the potatoes and onions from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain well in a sieve. Keep the flavored oil, it is excellent for salads or frying. Salt the still warm potatoes heavily, they absorb seasoning best now.
- 3
Mix the eggs
Whisk the eggs only roughly in a large bowl and add the warm potatoes. Press them lightly with a fork so that a part falls apart. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes so that the potatoes absorb the egg and everything combines.
- 4
Fry the first side
Heat two tablespoons of the collected oil in a 24 cm non-stick pan and pour in the mixture. Pull the edges inwards with a spatula and shake the pan occasionally. Fry the tortilla for four to five minutes over medium heat until the edge is firm but the middle is still runny.
- 5
Turn and finish cooking
Place a large flat plate on the pan, turn everything over boldly in one movement and then let the tortilla slide back into the pan. Push the edges down with the spatula and cook for another three to four minutes. The core should still be creamy when cut.
Our best tips
- The potatoes must be confited, not fried. If the temperature is too high, they become crispy and the tortilla dry.
- When turning, keep calm and make a decisive movement. Hesitation leads to mishap.
- In Spain, the onion is debated. With onion, the tortilla is sweeter and juicier, without it is more purist.
Tasty variations
With Chorizo
Mix 150 g of diced Chorizo with the potatoes, then the tortilla becomes spicier and stronger.
In the oven
Pour the mixture into a greased dish and bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes, then turning is not necessary.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 1131 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| – of which sugar | 5 g |
| Fat | 102 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
Where the 1,131 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Why so much olive oil?
The potatoes are confited in it, not fried, and you pour it off afterwards. Only a little remains in the tortilla, you can use the oil several times.
How runny should the core be?
In Spain, a slightly runny middle is preferred. If you like it firmer, simply cook it for one to two minutes longer, but you lose creaminess.
Can I prepare it in advance?
Very well. Tortilla tastes best lukewarm or at room temperature and keeps for two days in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
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