A Lazy Sunday Brunch & a Spanish Tortilla

This is one of those dishes that is so much greater than the sum of its parts, slowly cooked onions, potatoes, eggs & olive oil...that is all.  But they can come together to make something so flavourful & comforting it is really quite wonderful. The sweetness of the slowly cooked onions & the comforting softness of the potatoes create a little bit of magic. 

This was the perfect companion to crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce roasted tomatoes & strawberry, apple & coconut muffins* for a lazy Sunday Brunch. Even better the sun was shining, giving us our first little taster of the Summer months to come & brunch was all fresco.

*recipes for these here soon!

*Worcestershire Sauce Roasted tomatoes

Toss cherry tomatoes, halve the large ones, on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Scatter over a few sprigs of thyme, a drizzle of olive oil & a drizzle of Worcestershire sauce.  Season with salt & pepper & place in a 170C/325F oven for 15-20 minutes.

But on to the main event....the Spanish Tortilla.  Even better this can be made ahead of time so that you can enjoy brunch rather than be over the stove poaching or scrambling.

Spanish Tortilla

Makes 1 large tortilla

2 large onions

700g / 1.5lbs waxy potatoes

150 ml olive oil for the onions

500 ml olive oil for the potatoes

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Salt & pepper

Directions

Cut the onions in half, peel & thinly slice.  Place the 150ml of olive in a large frying pan over a medium heat.  Add the onions & season with a good pinch of salt.  Turn the heat down to low & sauté for 45 minutes until the onions are sweet & golden.  Stir every moment or so to make sure that they don’t stick.

Remove from the heat & drain, reserving the oil to cook the tortilla.

Peel the potatoes, cut in half & thinly slice.  Place the potatoes in a colander with a teaspoon of salt, toss well. Place the 500ml of olive oil in another frying pan & heat over a medium heat.  Gently add the potatoes & lower the heat.  Cook gently for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  We are just looking for tender here, no colouring. Once cooked drain & save the oil for another time.

Place the onions, potatoes & eggs in a large bowl.  Season with salt* & pepper & gently mix to combine.

Add the reserved onion oil to a clean frying pan & heat over a high heat until smoking.  Add the tortilla mixture & give it a gentle shoogle or shake.  Lower the heat to medium & cook for 3-4 minutes until the underside is golden brown.  Take a plate of similar size to the frying pan & place it on top.  With a couple of tea towels take hold of each side & carefully flip the pan to turn out the tortilla.

Add a splash more oil & return the tortilla to the frying pan to cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes.  You want both sides to be golden & brown.  The tortilla is cooked when it feels solid.  Slide the tortilla on to a plate & allow to cool for a few moments before slicing & serving.

*Yes a little more salt....potatoes love salt.

This is just one of those dishes where a few simple ingredients come together to make something quite wonderful.  Sweet onions & soft potatoes all bound together in a tasty tortilla.

If you like this you might like this Green Herby Omelette with Spinach & Feta Salad

One year ago Spring Pasta

Two years ago Spicy Chicken Tikka Kebabs

Three years ago Ginger Chilli Chicken

Enjoy!