Tortilla!

In this family it is hard to cook something that everyone will eat. One won't like this, the other won't like that, you know how that works. But one thing we can all agree on is tortilla. Not the Mexican taco kind of tortilla, but the real Spanish tortilla that you can find in Tapas bars, and according to Stephanie, who has won my heart forever by pronouncing my tortilla authentic, all over Spain.

Tortillas are made by sauteeing onions and garlic in olive oil, adding thinly sliced russet potatoes and seasonings and covering with beaten eggs. This all gets cooked through and served with a green salad and some really good bread for a most satisfying dinner (and breakfast with the leftovers!).

To make my tortilla even more delicious I found some amazing Chorizo Espanol (Especialidad de Espana from Campofrio at Fresh and Easy market this week - great price! 5.3 ounces for $1 - it is thin-sliced, and not heavy or greasy like the local chorizo we find around Riverside and California) to add to my tortilla, which gave the dish a little meat, without having an actual meat dish for dinner, which is nice at least once a week or so.

When I first started making tortilla early this year I went for the most authentic preparation I could find through research, which entailed a lot of sauteeing in lots of oil, and worst of all, the scary flipping to get the top of the tortilla on the bottom, about two-thirds of the way through. It is not for the weak of heart, I can tell you that, to make an authentic tortilla, plus it has an awful lot of (albeit delicious) oil per serving made this way.

So, in the interest of lightening the work load and the calorie load I've come up with some revisions to my earlier versions. After Alex and I ate tortilla at Sevilla Restaurant here in Riverside (mmmmmmmm!) I realized that it was perfectly acceptable to boil the potato slices before making the tortilla instead of cooking them in all that oil. You just have to be mindful not to forget them and let them cook to a mush.

My recipes do not really include specific amounts, because most of what I cook never really does, but the method works just fine, I promise, and you mustn't be afraid to try it because tortilla is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself.

To make the tortilla scrub and slice about 6-9 russet potatoes into pretty thin slices. You want enough to almost fill a skillet that can go from the stove to the oven. Use a skillet that is big enough to make enough tortilla for however many people you want to feed.

Put the potato slices with some kosher or sea salt (Please, never, ever, under pain of utter vileness, use the salt with the little girl on the box!)into a big pan and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender - like al dente would be for pasta.

While the potatoes cook, slice up about one large onion per 8 potatoes, and some garlic, as much as you like - or leave it out if you want. This is a family by family issue! Saute those in your wide skillet in some olive oil. I always add the onions first and cook them a minute before adding the oil, it seems to cut down on all the nasty splatters that I hate to clean.

When the potatoes are ready drain them - don't go crazy with getting all the water out, just tip as much water out of the pan as you can. No point in getting a colander dirty for just the one thing. Now add the potatoes in with the onions and add a little more olive oil (the original recipe would use more than a cup of olive oil, so you are being very virtuous even is you add another quarter cup here), and of course, a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Now gently stir all the onions and potatoes around so that the onions are nicely distributed through the potatoes. Now you can add in the slices of one package of the wonderful Spanish Chorizo. Tuck them in here and there; one package is really just about right for a 14" skillet-full.

Now, take about 8 eggs (Fresh and Easy has BY FAR the best price on good brown cage free eggs at $2.29 a dozen) and beat them in a bowl with a splash of milk, some salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Sometimes I will add a few splashes of tobasco to this - it is up to you, but we like it. You will need enough eggs to just cover the potatoes. If you pour them in and you don't have enough, no worries, just beat up a few more until you have enough.

Now, turn the heat back on under your skillet - to about medium - and cook the tortilla for about 10 minutes while you pre-heat your oven to about 375 degrees (F).

After 10 minutes put the pan in the over and let it cook until nice and set on the top, which will be about a half an hour. While the tortilla finishes cooking you can tidy up the kitchen, set the table, make a salad and slice some bread and drink a glass of nice wine.

When you take out the tortilla, let it set and rest about five minutes, like you would a roast or a chicken, then cut it up in wedges and enjoy! In Spain it is traditionally served with a spoonful of mayonnaise on top, and that is good, too, but I don't think it is a very American sort of taste.

Tortilla is also very portable, so you can take some for your lunch and you will feel very pampered and loved, which is to me, the most important thing of all.

Cafe Sevilla of Riverside - ask to sit in Aricelia's station!
www.cafesevilla.com

3252 Mission Inn Ave
Riverside, CA 92507
(951) 778-0611