I studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college. I loved the food in Spain, especially this traditional Spanish tortilla which is one of the most commonly served dishes in Spain. I had it several times a week! A lot of times it is sold at restaurants/bars as a bocadillo (little sandwich) - it is a triangle of tortilla between slices of a baguette. Delicious. I bought a cookbook of Spanish recipes while I was there and made this for my family when I came home. My dad loves it. He still requests it as often as possible. I had never made it for Derrick yet, and he really liked it as well.
In Spain they sometimes serve it with sofrito, a tomato sauce. We like it with siracha, salsa, or hot sauce.
6 medium potatoes, peeled
1 onion, optional
9 large eggs
olive oil
salt to taste
Peel the potatoes and slice in 1/8" slices. If using an onion, chop and combine in a bowl with the potato slices. Salt the mixture.
In a large pan heat a general amount of oil over medium heat. I used 4-5 tablespoons. (It calls for much more than that.) Spread the potatoes evenly in the skillet. Leave in the pan until they can be easily broken with a spatula. Then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat by hand. Stir in potatoes.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the large pan. Pour the egg potato mixture into the pan. Spread out evenly. Cover. Allow to cook around 15 minutes until the edges look cooked. Lift the tortilla to see if the bottom is browned. The top should still be runny.
Take the pan to the sink. Put a large dinner plate on top of the pan. Flip with one hand on each side (with potholders). Then slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook the other side. Use a spatula to shape the sides. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it sit 2 minutes.
Slide the tortilla onto a plate to serve. Slice into 8 pieces like a pie and serve with sliced French bread on the side.
