Jer: Tortilla Espanola

There are certain techniques in the kitchen that, no matter how many times I try to perfect them, I will never master. Flipping a tortilla Espanola in its pan a few times is one of them. As Elaine will attest, I like being in control and doing things as well as I can. I am particularly neurotic in the kitchen and at work – two places where I really can’t stand error. So flipping these Spanish gems always drives my Type A personality crazy.

What am I doing wrong? In my ten plus tortilla Espanola attempts over the years, I’ve tried different sized pans, different sized spatulas and pancake flippers and I’ve worked at varying temperatures. But when I think I’m ready to flip, there is always still too much uncooked egg moisture which causes it to fall apart on the plate. I hesitate for fear of breaking the form. So I inevitably put it in the oven when it’s almost done and finish it off under a broiler (or in a very hot oven). This always does the job but mine are always a little compacted with a tougher texture on the top from the broiling. I dream of the day I can emerge from the kitchen with a soft and delicate pan of egg and potato.

Of all the recipes for tortilla Espanola I’ve tried, this was by far my favorite in terms of flavor and density. In previous attempts I had always cubed the potatoes and pan roasted them with the onions. In this case, I really liked the low temperature cooking of the potatoes and onion slices in the olive oil. The onion infused the oil which infused the potato in ever such a subtle way. I liked how the slow cooking didn’t brown or toughen the potatoes, which in turn created a softer inside than what I’m used to. In spite of my inability to get the flipping part right, the taste and texture was divine and I will stick with this recipe going forward as I try to master the technique portion of this dish.

I served these for lunch on Saturday to my friends Amyra and Nicole who were in town for the long weekend, both of whom really liked it. Served on the side was our standard salad – arugula and parmesan tossed with good olive oil and lemon juice and finished off with fresh ground pepper. We can make this salad in less than 2 minutes and enjoy it a few times a week for dinner. It is the perfect dinner salad for company as it can be dressed in seconds and really takes no effort to prepare (in particular if you buy pre-washed arugula and pre-grated parmesan).

We served the cheesecake for dessert later that evening and it was a hit. Thank you so much for all the recommendations. I went with Elaine’s Junior Recipe given that Amyra is really a fan of the classic cheesecake (although for a future dinner party I will definitely try the ricotta recipe). I did not make a crust and I layered sliced strawberries from a nearby farm along the edge of the cake using mascarpone as adhesive. I made a fresh strawberry puree and dressed each serving dish with it before adding the slice of cheesecake. It was not cakey and the texture was creamy and perfect. I had trouble with water seepage into the bottom rim of the cheesecake in spite of my lining with plastic wrap and foil. This is another technique that I have always struggled with - I always have some water spilling in no matter how well I try to protect the bottom lining. Regardless, it was delicious and we loved every bit of it.

To finish off the weekend, I came home from the gym last night to a beautifully set dinner table. Peter, was serving fresh fruit with a side of our favorite cottage cheese and apple sauce (a lovely combination, in particular if you have children). As I might have mentioned in previous posts, Pete does not cook, but he cleans up my mess better than anyone and makes a mean fruit smoothie and grilled cheese sandwich. The table was dressed beautifully and when I asked him why the special spread, he smiled and said “I’m working on my plating skills.” The hostess and cook in me melted and smiled. One thing is for certain, he is clearly further along with his plating than I am with my tortilla Espanola flipping!