Another favorite egg dish (though I don’t make this as often as the basic omelette) is tortilla Española or Spanish potato omelette–this takes a bit more time than basic omelette, but it is serious comfort food.  Though most recipes that I’ve seen recommend serving it at room temperature (and I love it that way too), I like the first serving still warm.  I don’t mind having some of this around to eat as recommended, at room temperature, especially in hot weather.  I usually make the entire 4 servings of this.

This recipe is adapted from The food of Spain and Portugal: The Complete Iberian Cuisine by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz (p. 231) and allioli (p. 239).

Tortilla Española

Ingredients

• 500 gm/1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced or thinly sliced (preferably waxy potato–red or Yukon gold).
• 250 gm/8 ounces (about 3 medium) onions, finely chopped or sliced thin
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 250 ml/8 fluid ounces (1 cup) olive oil
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

• season the potatoes and onions with salt and pepper.
• heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan (skillet), preferably nonstick.
• cook the potatoes and onions covered over low heat until soft, but not browned; stir gently from time to time.
• drain the potatoes and onions through a sieve, reserving the oil.
• stir the eggs with a little salt and pepper
• add the potato and onion mixture, mix gently and allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
• wipe out the frying pan/skillet and add 4 tablespoons of the oil, and heat
• add the egg, potato, and onion mixture and spread it evenly
• cook over moderate heat shaking the pan occasionally to keep it from sticking.
• when the omelette begins to brown underneath, put a plate over the skillet and invert the pan and slide the omelette onto the plate.
• heat a little more oil and return the omelette to the pan with the browned side up.
• cook it just long enough to brown the underside.
• transfer to a warmed plate and serve hot or at room temperature.

Allioli à la Catalana  (Garlic mayonnaise, Catalan-style)

Ingredients

Makes about 1 cup; will keep in the fridge for several days.  This is for serious garlic lovers–there is a less potent variation given in the book, as well as variations using egg yolks.

• 1/2 large head of garlic, peeled and crushed.
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
• 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preparation

• put the crushed garlic into a small bowl (or a large mortar).
• add the lemon juice or vinegar
• stir to mix
• gradually add the oil, stirring in the same direction until the oil is absorbed and the mixture has a mayonnaise-like consistency.
• stir in salt to taste.

You don’t need to use expensive oil–the garlic flavor is very strong.  This can be made in a food processor or blender, but I think that it’s more trouble to clean either of those than to make it by hand.

If you don’t care to make the allioli from scratch, you can add crushed garlic to a good commercial mayonnaise, and adjust seasoning to taste with lemon juice (or vinegar).  When I do it this way I use Hellmann’s® mayonnaise–it is quicker, but not quite as good as making it from scratch.