Spanish Omelette
Spanish omelette:
Basque origin
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It is said that the Spanish omelette was
invented as a dish by the Carlist general
de Zumalacárregui.
Tomás
The legend says that during the siege of Bilbao in
1835, Tomás de Zumalacárregui created the "tortilla
de patatas" as an easy, fast and nutritious dish to
satisfy the scarcities of the Carlist army. Although it
remains unknown whether this is true, it appears the
tortilla started to spread during the early Carlist wars.
Another tale is that during the war, Zumalacárregui
was in the field and happened upon a farmhouse and
demanded a meal from the farmwife. All she had
were a few eggs, a potato and an onion, so she
combined all three, making an omelette. Surprisingly,
Zumalacárregui was pleased and took the idea with
him.
The first written reference to the tortilla in Spanish is
found in a Navarrese document in 1817 which could
correspond with this legends.
List of the ingredients you need
for 4 people
1)
2)
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3)
6-7 medium
potatoes, peeled
1 whole yellow onion
5-6 large eggs
2-3 cups of olive oil
for pan frying
Salt to taste
4)
5)
List of tools you need
2) and 3)
1)
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6)
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5)
4)
9)
Sharp Knife for Chopping Onion and
Potatoes
1 Large Frying Pan for Frying Potatoes and
Onions
1 Medium Frying Pan for Cooking
the Tortilla
A Potato Peeler
2 Mixing Bowls – 1 large and 1 small
A fork
A spatula
A spoon
7)
a plate
8)
Procedure1 :
• Peel and cut the potatoes in
pieces approximately 1/8-inch
thick.
Procedure 2
•Peel and chop the onion into 1/4-inch
pieces.
• Put potatoes and onions into a large
mixing bowl and mix them together.
Salt the mixture to taste.
procedure 3
In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Drop
a single piece of potato into the oil
to ensure it is hot enough to fry.
Carefully place the potato and onion
mixture into the frying pan.
The oil should almost cover the
potatoes.
Leave in pan until the potatoes and
onion mixture is cooked. then
Remove from the pan with a
spatula. Be sure you remove the
oil to the mixture.
procedure 4
While the mixture is draining, crack
the eggs into bowl and beat by
hand with a fork.
Pour into the potato onion mixture.
Mix together with a spoon.
procedure 5
Pour 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil into
the frying pan and heat on
medium heat. When hot enough,
pour into the pan, spreading
evenly over pan. You may need to
turn heat to medium-low heat.
Allow the egg to cook around the
edges. Then, using a spatula,
carefully lift up one side of the
tortilla to check if the egg has
slightly browned. The inside of the
mixture should not be completely
cooked and the egg will still be
runny on top and in middle.
procedure 6
When the mixture has browned on
the bottom, you are ready to turn it
over to cook the other side.
Carefully carry the frying pan to a
sink. Place a large plate upside
down over the frying pan to cover
top. With one hand on the frying
pan handle and the other on top of
the plate to hold it steady, quickly
turn the frying pan over and the
omelet will fall onto the plate.
procedure 7
Carry plate with potato-egg
mixture and empty pan back
to stove. Place the frying pan
back on the range and put
just enough oil
approximately 1 teaspoon.
Let the pan warm for 30
seconds . Carefully slide the
tortilla into the frying pan,
using a spatula to catch any
egg mixture that remains on
plate. Use the spatula to
shape the sides of the omelet.
Let the omelet cook for 3-4
minutes. Carefully slide the
omelet onto a large plate.
variations of the tortilla
The following are a few of the most
popular variations to the classic
Spanish Omelet.
·
Green Pepper - Add 1 green or red bell
pepper (chopped) to the potatoes and onions
and fry.
·
Chorizo - Slice a Spanish chorizo
sausage and add to the potato and onion
mixture after frying.
·
Ham - Using a couple thick slices of
ham, finely chop them. Then add the pieces to
the potato and onion mixture after frying.
as we say: ON EGIN!
ZEANURI LHI OCTOBER 2012