This sweet onion potato tortilla is perfect for a snack, picnics, or lunch boxes. It’s best served warm or at room temperature, making it really convenient to prepare ahead.
Adding the warm potato mixture to the eggs helps the tortilla cook evenly, allowing the centre to set properly without being undercooked.
You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste. Add bacon or chorizo for extra flavour, or keep it vegetarian by adding sliced red peppers or pieces of asparagus.
This recipe uses a generous amount of olive oil, but none of it goes to waste—you can strain and save it to use later as a deliciously flavoured cooking oil.
The frying pan used here is about 20 cm. At first, the potatoes and onions may seem like too much for a small pan, but don’t worry—they will soften and reduce as they cook. If you prefer, you can cook the potatoes and onions in a larger pan, then transfer everything to a smaller pan to finish the tortilla.
For a satisfying meal instead of a snack try serving alongside broad bean and yogurt salad and conserva de cenouras (Portuguese marinated carrots)
SWEET ONION AND POTATO TORTILLA
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
500 g small potatoes, cut into ½ cm rounds
250 g onions, thinly sliced
50 g chorizo or smoked bacon, diced (opt)
250-300 ml olive oil
3-4 eggs, beaten
chopped chives (ot)
METHOD:
Place the potatoes and onions in a cold frying pan. Pour in enough oil to almost cover the top layer of potatoes. Gently turn the mixture so the oil coats the potatoes and onions evenly. Lightly season with salt.
Place the pan over medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to bubble, reduce the heat to very low and cook gently for about 10 minutes. If using bacon or chorizo, add it now, and turn the mixture carefully to coat everything in the oil.
Continue cooking until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, about 5 more minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking and prevent the bottom from browning.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat them with a whisk or fork until smooth and well mixed.
When the potatoes are tender, remove the pan from the heat. Tip the mixture into a colander over a bowl to drain off excess oil. Do not wipe out the pan—it should have a thin film of oil left.
Add the warm potato, onion, and bacon mixture to the eggs. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix gently, taking care not to break up the potatoes.
Return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat. Add a small drizzle of the reserved oil if the pan looks dry. When the pan is warm, pour in the egg mixture. Spread it evenly and press down gently with the back of a spatula or fish slice so the eggs reach the edges.
Push the sides gently inward with a spatula to create a neat, round shape. Cook for about 5 minutes, pressing gently now and then to bring any uncooked egg to the surface.
When the top is mostly set and the omelette is fairly firm, invert it onto a plate. Leave the pan on the heat, then slide the tortilla back in to cook the other side for about 2 minutes, until firm.
If the underside is still slightly uncooked, you can either invert again onto a clean plate and return to the pan for a minute longer, or finish it under a grill.
