Trying Spanish Tortilla de Patatas

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[dragoknight]

“Slice it into slices” is the spiritual successor to “Cook it until it’s cooked”

guys why are you replying with meal requests I’m not Kwook

[ivangoubarevpascual]

I'm from Spain and I have been improving my tortilla de patata over the years. First thing I like to do is to break down the potatoes once they start getting soft. This way when you mix them with the eggs you get a thick and creamy consistency instead of chunks of potato swimming in egg. Another very important thing is to try to leave the center of the tortilla undercooked, because if you cook the egg as much as you did, the tortilla becomes dry and unappealing. For this it is specially important to pay attention to the previous step, because if not you will get runny raw egg flowing out of the tortilla when you cut it instead of a creamy core. With these suggestions you should be able to improve the tortilla a lot.

Edit: also I think it's not necessary to use so much oil, just enough so that the potatoes can become soft and cook properly without burning and getting dry.

[mattisus]

"And onion that I sliced into slices"
- Kwoowk 2023

[Jeff]

“Enough oil to warrant a US military operation” 😂😂😂😂

[jorgeicmr]

I am a chef in Spain and I can give you a couple of tips. The first is that it is better to cut the potato into cubes, not too large, and let them rest once fried with the beaten egg and salt for about 10 minutes. The second and most important thing is that you don't use so much oil to make the tortilla, a few drops is enough, if you use a lot it stays very dry. I hope you try it as the difference is very noticeable when doing it like this.

[javihernandez]

As a Spaniard I'd say you did it very nicely for your first tortilla, but maybe it was a little bit overcooked (though many spanish people like it that way) so it wasn't mindblowing. Imo, a runny tortilla is a different whole league, texture and flavorwise, exactly the kind of food that makes me proud of my culture. (Another tip: brown the potatoes a bit more and caramelize the onions for an even better result)

[eykyra]

My favorite tip to elevate tortilla de patatas is that you have to break the potatoes before mixing them with the eggs, not as much as to end up with a mash but enough to break their shape. This guarantees that, instead of finding two different textures from the egg and the potatoes is a lot more of a combined texture and it's specially good if it's a bit undercooked on the inside, enough to collapse a bit when you cut it. This is very particular because every person has its recipe of tortilla, but I do recommend trying it at least once.

[fernit]

Something I've noticed as a Spaniard is that foreigners don't usually like tortilla de patatas so much when they first make it if they haven't tried it before but love it if it is made by a Spaniard with some experience. My personal theory is that you have to know how a perfect tortilla tastes like to be able to try and imitate that flavour.
As simple as this dish may seem, doing it isn't easy at all. It is very difficult to get the hang of it, and you will probably need to do a lot of tortillas just to discover what you like.
First there is the dichotomy about the onion. Spain is actually split in two whether or not onion belongs into the tortilla. I must say I'm biased towards the no-onion variant, as that's how I like my tortilla, but I would have recommended to begin trying the smooth taste of a tortilla with no onion and then seeing if you like the spice onion adds into it, but you definitely have to try both variants to know which one you prefer. You can also play with the amounts to find the perfect equilibrium, or maybe try to cut the onion thiner so that the texture blends better.
Secondly, the cooking time. This is another strong division in Spain, as some people like the inside raw and gooey while others prefer it almost completely dry. That's something that you also have to try yourself to know what you like (personally I like it somewhere in the middle, juicy but not liquid), but I'm sorry to tell you what you made was definitely overcooked and closer to the pre-cooked dishes you may find in a supermarket.
Lastly, some tips I've learned making tortillas myself and watching other people with more experience than me:
-When you are frying the potatos and they start getting soft, break them apart a little bit. When you mix it with the egg they will blend and create the perfect texture.
-Salt the potatoes as you fry them so you can taste them. Specially if you add onion if you don't add enough salt your tortilla will be sweet.
-Get a Spanish grandma and ask her to teach you her ways.

To sum up, making tortilla de patatas should be considered a form of art and you will have to make a lot of them to discover what your ideal tortilla is. Then you can try adding other ingredients, like cheese, zucchini, spinach... I'm personally a fan of plain old tortilla, but it's always good to experiment in the kitchen.
Thanks if you have read my whole essay. I know I'm late as hell and this will go unnoticed between the 60K comments, but it would make me really happy if I introduce someone to the huge world of tortilla de patatas.

[PatriciaXara]

The best tortilla is still creamy in the middle. You cut it and it spills into your plate. I'll never forget the tortilla I ate at Uno de Delicias in Seville. Absolutely delicious!

[agata]

Fun fact, in Spain there is a controversy with this dish. There is people who like it a little bit undercook and people who like it completely cook. Also the ones who want onion and the ones who hate it. Also som prefer it cold and others hot. So there is a lot of variability. And also the size of the potatoes depends on who prepare it, you can slice them thicker if you want. I recommend you try it with the potatoes a little thicker, onion and less cooked so the egg is more juicy. Thanks for doing this recipe! ❤

[by_jenvier]

Here’s a tip: gently fry everything until the onions start getting slightly caramelised, slow gentle heat for longer and stirring every now and then. When you flip the tortilla leave it a bit undercooked inside so it’s not as dry. Also, potatoes need a lot of salt so make sure to season accordingly 👍🏽

[andreszhoutsang]

Good job for the first try, but what really makes tortilla special is the creamy texture. To achieve this, potatoes and onions should be added to the eggs while still hot, then stir them until the mis becomes denser. As you pour them into the pan keep stirring for a bit and leave it so it solidifies at the botom. Then you flip the tortilla and leave it on low heat for a minute. You can stick a thermometer and it should be 65-70 degrees inside.

[antoniomusura]

Madrid, seven years ago. I am a chef, but there I was just a tourist. As a chef I've had a privilege to try and taste almost every type of food you can think of, and still to this day, the tortilla de patatas that I had in that small local restaurant in Madrid was one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. I still remember that flavour, unbelievable.

[TheSpanishInquisition]

I'm half Cuban (Cuban mum and Swedish dad), but my absolute favorite dish from Cuba is black beans Cuban style with rice, yuca and plantain chips. With the yuca, just pair it with some mojo (that's regular cooking oil with garlic and some lemon juice) and the meat is just some ground beef/pork with cumin, garlic, salt and some other spice that I can't remember. Absolutely delicious and I wouldn't be able to survive without it :)

[gregk]

I've had this several times including trying to make it at home myself and usually have the reaction you did.

But I had it once in a spanish speaking country and was blown away by how good it was. Like I can still remember it 15 years later. It was just amazing how much flavor came from so few ingredients

[imaripebanana]

I am chilean, when i tried tortilla de papas, i was MIND BLOWN, the taste of the eggs, potatoes, onions, chorizo, yeah, i added onions and chorizo español to it. I fell in love.

[srcarlherb]

I am Spanish. For anyone trying to make it, please do not leave it for 15 on each side to cook, less than a minute or two depending on how runny you want it will do. In the north of Spain we have very runny tortillas and you would usually flip it after a few seconds, although this is just preference, just like whether you add onions or not. But please do not leave it for 15 minutes to cook.

[aubreybondoc]

I didn’t know that this food is called “Tortilla de Patatas”. My dad has been cooking it for us since I was 4. It is my childhood/comfort food. He said that his mom (my grandma) had cooked it for him too. My grandma is half Spanish. It all makes sense now 🥹

[emmartstuff]

As a Spanish native, your tortilla de patata it's not juicy enough, you have to make it thicker, cook it enough to get a crispy surface but with a juicy core.

[saragarcia]

I'm Spanish and I think the thing is that usually people would cook the Spanish omelette as a normal omelette. But apart from the flipping, it also (usually) has to be a little bit runny on the middle, not super uncooked but a little bit moist. That's what makes it creamy and what makes the difference from other omelettes.