I’ve skipped quite a few entries that are waiting to be tweaked before posting, but since Friday’s dinner out for Tapas I’ve been wanting this delightful treat again. Exactly a year ago I was traveling (skipping?) through the south of Spain with my good friend, Mr Cooper. This weekend won’t be quite the same as roaming the beaches of Cadiz, but a picnic at Blue Hole? I’ll take it.

When I left for Spain I was incredibly nervous for my stomach. I knew there would be plenty of meats I could eat, veggies, fruits, but what about breakfast? I hate to miss meals, and I hate to miss out on something spectacular. Would I have to go from place to place trying to figure it out every meal? Turns out, breakfast was the easiest. Every morning Coby and I would find a coffee shop and I would have cafe cortido and a tortilla, hold the bread (or hand the bread to Coby). With a tortilla always handy, it was easy to resist the breakfast pastries everyday. Don’t ask about the time I just had to have the specialty dessert and ordered one of each. I regretted it soon after, but man were those good.

Tortillas are also a great picnic item. I went to an outdoor concert a few weeks ago and made this, but tried to speed the process up too much and didn’t use a non-stick pan. Oops. I made this again on Tuesday night for a dinner I made for my stellar volunteers (maybe to bribe them to stay around for another 6 months) and have had it for breakfast each day this week. I’ll be making it again tomorrow for Saturday at Blue Hole and again and again. It’s cheap, pretty quick, and I usually have all 3 ingredients at home already.

This recipe is what my brother-in-law told me on the phone. He doesn’t use a recipe, but he makes the best tortilla in this country that’s for sure. Mine didn’t compare, but I enjoyed it all the same.

A ton of olive oil
7-8 medium sized yukon gold potatoes
1 large onion
5 eggs

Slice the potatoes and onions really thinly. If you have a mandolin, even better. In a 9-in non-stick tefflon pan, pour enough oil to soon cover the sliced potatoes. Poach the potatoes and onion in the olive oil, simmering, and turn (stir) once or twice. Cook until done completely. Strain the oil out and reserve a few tablespoons of it. Whisk together 4-5 eggs with a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Add the potatoes into the egg mixture and let rest in the large bowl for about 15 minutes.

Use a little of the reserved oil to re-coat the pan and heat the pan up until it’s hot. Add the potato-egg mixture and with your wrist, move the pan back and forth rapidly a few times. Then press the mixture down into the pan with a spatula. Lower the heat and cook until it’s firm-ish. Flip it out onto a plate, clean the pan, redistribute more oil, and then place the tortilla back in the pan (other side up) and swish it back and forth for just another couple of minutes.

Timing is not down pat for this recipe! If anyone tries this out, tell me how it worked.