I recently found myself on a quest to incorporate some Spanish cuisine into my cooking repertoire. I had first wanted to conquer Paella but until I find the funds to purchase this Paella pan at Williams-Sonoma that dream will have to remain on hold. So I backtracked a bit and decided to start with something simple....dipping my toes ever so gently into Spanish food waters.
The first idea that came to mind was a Spanish tortilla. Now here in the states when one thinks of a tortilla it usually involves either corn or flour and is vehicle for salsa or some type of yummy taco fillings. But a Spanish tortilla is none of the above, and after making this one I would say that it is probably a close cousin to the frittata (what came first, the tortilla or the frittata?). Now traditional Spanish tortillas are basically just potato, onions, and eggs, and are impressive in their sheer girth, but with some limitations on the sizes on pans that I had in my arsenal I knew that mine would not be as impressive.
The one amusing this about this whole process was the flipping, since unlike a frittata which you finish cooking under a broiler, a Spanish tortilla is flipped in order to cook the eggs through. So flipping this massive thing with limited equipment involved a small heated discussion with my husband and then a joint decision to use a cookie sheet in the flipping process, which in the end turned out well. So after I mastered flipping, with some Julia Child-esque repairs to it, we dug in, serving it with a some nice toasted bread. Unfortunately it was good enough to convince me that I need yet another pan, so the thickness is spot on.......damn you Williams-Sonoma.
Spanish Tortilla With Chorizo and Swiss Chard
Cook Time: 25 minutes
10 eggs beaten
1/2lb chorizo crumbled
1 large bunch of Swiss chard chopped
1 medium yellow onion sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
3lbs red potatoes peeled and thinly sliced (a mandolin works well for this)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pepper
In a large (14-inch) non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and season with half the salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes frequently to prevent browning (for a Spanish tortilla you want the potatoes cooked but not too crispy on the exterior).
Once the potatoes are done place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Discard any excess oil in the pan and add the sausage to the pan. Cook until the sausage is almost cooked through then add the onion, and cook until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes, then season with the remaining salt and pepper.
Return the potatoes to the pan and poor the eggs over the sausage mixture. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the bottom is set and the eggs start to bubble a bit, about 5 minutes. Using a large plate or cookie sheet invert the pan, placing the tortilla onto the plate.
Then push the tortilla back into the pan, cooked side up and cook until the eggs are completely cooked, about another 5 minutes. When the tortilla is cooked through remove from the heat and allow the tortilla to sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. After the tortilla has cooled slide it onto a serving plate and slice.
The first idea that came to mind was a Spanish tortilla. Now here in the states when one thinks of a tortilla it usually involves either corn or flour and is vehicle for salsa or some type of yummy taco fillings. But a Spanish tortilla is none of the above, and after making this one I would say that it is probably a close cousin to the frittata (what came first, the tortilla or the frittata?). Now traditional Spanish tortillas are basically just potato, onions, and eggs, and are impressive in their sheer girth, but with some limitations on the sizes on pans that I had in my arsenal I knew that mine would not be as impressive.
But I decided to go ahead with it, because it may not be that authentic but I had a feeling that it would still be good. I also decided to play with the filling a bit, because I had found some beautiful Swiss chard at the market and some yummy chorizo that I just couldn't make an executive decision on what to do with, that is until now.
The one amusing this about this whole process was the flipping, since unlike a frittata which you finish cooking under a broiler, a Spanish tortilla is flipped in order to cook the eggs through. So flipping this massive thing with limited equipment involved a small heated discussion with my husband and then a joint decision to use a cookie sheet in the flipping process, which in the end turned out well. So after I mastered flipping, with some Julia Child-esque repairs to it, we dug in, serving it with a some nice toasted bread. Unfortunately it was good enough to convince me that I need yet another pan, so the thickness is spot on.......damn you Williams-Sonoma.
Spanish Tortilla With Chorizo and Swiss Chard
10 eggs beaten
1/2lb chorizo crumbled
1 large bunch of Swiss chard chopped
1 medium yellow onion sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
3lbs red potatoes peeled and thinly sliced (a mandolin works well for this)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pepper
In a large (14-inch) non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and season with half the salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes frequently to prevent browning (for a Spanish tortilla you want the potatoes cooked but not too crispy on the exterior).
Once the potatoes are done place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Discard any excess oil in the pan and add the sausage to the pan. Cook until the sausage is almost cooked through then add the onion, and cook until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes, then season with the remaining salt and pepper.
Return the potatoes to the pan and poor the eggs over the sausage mixture. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the bottom is set and the eggs start to bubble a bit, about 5 minutes. Using a large plate or cookie sheet invert the pan, placing the tortilla onto the plate.
Then push the tortilla back into the pan, cooked side up and cook until the eggs are completely cooked, about another 5 minutes. When the tortilla is cooked through remove from the heat and allow the tortilla to sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. After the tortilla has cooled slide it onto a serving plate and slice.
Tortilla is made of potatoes, green onions, sausage, salt, pepper, and 5 eggs for a 10 inches skillet, nothing else. The well done tortilla can be appreciated by layer by layer of potatoes, no blanks in between.
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