Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo

 

Sometimes you are sadly lacking in both inspiration and time, yet you are absolutely starving.



Perhaps all you have in the larder is a few eggs, some potatoes and onions, and maybe a bit of Chorizo. Doesn't everyone have some Spanish Chorizo in their larder? I mean, can you actually be a foodie without having some Chorizo in the larder?



I love Spanish Chorizo. It's warm and spicy and a very versatile ingredient. Made in Spain, using coarsley chopped pork and pork fat, and seasoned with spicy smoked paprika, it's a very versatile ingredient. It also doesn't need refrigeration. I use it in my crushed new potatoes, and it makes a tasty hash. It's great as tapas, just sliced, and also pretty wonderful on pizzas.



We were absolutely starving when we got home from church the other day and I just didn't have time to cook a slap up meal and so I cooked us a Tortilla with some potatoes, eggs, onion and Chorizo.

A Spanish Tortilla is not to be confused with a Mexican Tortilla. It is not a flat bread used to wrap around a taco or to be turned into enchiladas (although those are mightly tasty things). It is a thick eggy omelet kind of thing, nicely browned on the top and bottom and stogged full of meltingly tender potato and onion and, in this case, Chorizo!



A Spanish Tortilla is great picnic or packed lunch food as it tastes equally as delicious when hot or when at room temperature! With a little bit of salad on the side, it's the perfect meal!



*Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A tortilla, not to be confused with a flat type of bread eaten in Mexico, is like the Spanish version of an Italian Frittata. A tortilla however, is thicker and has potatoes in it. This is delicious served hot, warm or at room temerature. It's not so good cold though.

100ml olive oil (a scant third cup)
400g floury potatoes, peeled and diced (a scant pound)
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g chorizo sausage, peeled and sliced (1/2 pound)
1 fat clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
6 large eggs


Heat two thirds of the oil in a non-stick skillet that is 10 inches in diameter. When hot, put in the potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes. Add the onions and season lightly with some salt. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the onions are quite soft. Add the sliced chorizo along with the garlic and parsley. Mix well, without crushing the potatoes and then cook for another few minutes, until quite fragrant. Scoop everything out with a slotted spoon onto a plate and allow to cool slightly. Wipe out the frying pan with some paper towel to make ready for cooking the tortilla.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and season lightly with some salt and pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet. Using a spoon, fold the potato mixture into the beaten eggs very carefully. Pour the whole mixture into the pan. Start cooking over medium heat, stirring gently from time to time up from the sides with a fork, as if making an omelete. As soon as the eggs are half cooked, stop stirring and turn the heat to low. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside of the tortilla is almost cooked. Slide it onto a lightly greased plate, then invert it back into the skillet until the cooked part is on top and the raw part is on the bottom touching the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes, cooking until both sides are cooked the same and the middle of the tortilla is still soft.

Slide the tortilla onto a plate and serve it whole and cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.