Spanish Tortilla

Ingredients

• 8 free-range eggs
• 1 kg potatoes
• 1 white onion
• extra virgin olive oil

Method

Peel and slice the potatoes into rounds roughly 3mm thick — uniform thickness matters because thin edges will break down to a starch slurry while thick centres stay firm. Rinse them well to remove excess starch, then dry thoroughly on a clean cloth. This prevents the starch from glueing the tortilla into a dense, gummy block. Peel and halve the onion lengthways, then slice thinly along the grain so the pieces soften rather than shred. Heat a 25cm pan-frying pan over medium heat with enough oil to submerge the potatoes — roughly 200ml. You're not deep-frying here; you're gently poaching them in oil, which egg-based dishes need. Add the potatoes and onion together, season with about 8g of salt, and maintain a bare simmer. The surface should barely move. Cook for 15–18 minutes until a knife slides through the potato without resistance but the slices hold their shape — they're done when they collapse slightly under their own weight, not when they're translucent mush. The oil will taste of starch and potato by now; that flavour is part of the tortilla.

While the potatoes cook, beat the eight eggs in a large bowl with a pinch of salt until no streaks of white remain. Crack them directly into the bowl rather than using a separate vessel — fewer dishes, faster work.

Once the potatoes are tender, strain them in a colander set over a bowl to catch the oil. Set the oil aside; don't discard it. Let the potatoes cool for 2 minutes, then fold them gently into the beaten eggs with a spatula. Overstirring breaks the potato slices. Rest for 5 minutes so the starch begins to absorb some egg and bind the mixture.

Wipe out the pan and return it to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil. Pour in the mixture and cook for 4–5 minutes until the edges set and darken slightly — you should hear a gentle sizzle, not a fierce one. The top will still be liquid. Slide the tortilla onto a large plate, invert it back into the pan to cook the unset side for another 3–4 minutes until it firms but the centre gives slightly under gentle pressure. The residual heat will continue to set it as it rests. Slide onto a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.