Colourful Spanish Tortilla de Patata - The FoodOlic recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do most Spaniards eat a tortilla de patatas? ›

A traditional Spanish tortilla is basically a potato omelet, so you need eggs, potatoes, and onion, plus some oil and salt. The tortilla is often eaten as a light afternoon snack, to wait until dinner, in a sandwich or in small pieces as a tapa among other bite-size snacks in bars and restaurants.

Nomenclature. The word tortilla, which is the diminutive form of torta, literally means 'small cake'. In European Spanish and in some variants of Latin American Spanish, it means omelette. A potato omelette is a tortilla de patatas or papas.

Like I said earlier, this Spanish omelette recipe is often served as a tapa in Spain along with other nibbles and drinks. But it makes an equally satisfying brunch or even dinner next to a salad such as: lemony arugula salad; tomato salad; bean salad; or even a big Mediterranean chickpea salad.

To flip the tortilla, cover pan with a plate that is bigger than the pan. Flip the pan with the plate held tightly to the pan. The tortilla should come off onto the plate. Slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook the other side.

Paella is considered the national dish and originates from Valencia. According to the traditional recipe, paella is prepared with rabbit meat and vegetables. Today, however, there are countless variations: with fish and seafood, with meat and fish or even vegetarian.

It's finished off in the oven with a quick browning under the broiler and then topped with fresh arugula, prosciutto, and burrata cheese. Breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, this Spanish Tortilla is simply perfect.

Mexicans fondly refer to this as 'la copia' (literally: the copy). If you ask around, you'll be given many reasons for this. But a popular explanation is that the second tortilla can be used to make another taco with any fillings that spill out the side.

When I moved to Spain 25 years ago, I fell in love with Spain's number one comfort food: tortilla de patata. This is what you eat at grandma's house, but it's also served in every bar, restaurante and even at fancy parties in its appetizer form.

In Spain, a tortilla is an omelette. The flat corn or flour tortillas do not exist in Spain. In Spain, they are named “tortillas de maíz”. If you only say “tortilla”, it will be a “tortilla de patatas”, never a corn tortilla.

Why is tortilla de patatas important? ›

Unlike cake, though, this simple dish of eggs, potatoes and (occasionally) onions is a meal in itself. In fact, that's the whole point. Tortilla de patatas came about as a healthy, cheap and easy way of feeding the masses. Etymologically speaking, a tortilla is essentially a savory cake!

Quality corn tortillas have two sides. (The stomach and the back). The back is a thicker and softer layer, and the stomach is a thin and smoother layer. The rugged/thinner side has more imperfections and it is the correct side to put your fillings and get the most resistance out of your tortillas.

is the English name for a traditional dish from Spanish cuisine called tortilla española, tortilla de patatas or tortilla de papas. It is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, sometimes also with onion and/or chives or garlic; fried in oil and often served cold as an appetizer.

Tortilla de patatas is traditionally served with a warm baguette and a green side salad.

Spanish tortillas have nothing to do with Mexican corn or flour tortillas, except that they are round. They are more similar to Italian frittatas, but tortillas are more pervasive in Spain than frittatas are in Italy.

In Spain, tortilla refers to an omelet. There are many different versions, with the only required ingredient being beaten eggs. The most common form of omelet eaten in Spain uses potatoes: the tortilla de patatas.