tortilla Española with chorizo and ham

2019-10-21+22

aka. tortilla de patata, Spanish potato omelet. If anything typifies Spanish kitchen more than paella, it is probably this potato omelet. Potatoes and onions are slow-cooked in olive oil, mixed with beaten eggs and slow-cooked in a frying pan until the eggs are cooked on the outside, still a bit moist inside.

Mexican pork chorizo is marinated ground meat, very different from the dry-cured Spanish chorizo sausage, but no different from adding other any ground meat. Be sure to fully cook it beforehand.

I did cook this one mostly stovetop, but even my lowest setting was too high for this. The bottom was burning while the top was still way to liquid. As a result the reversal was a bit messier than planned. I added an extra egg in the frying pan to get that side to set quicker. It turned out OK.

The chorizo and ham give this a very different flavor than the basic onions & potatoes pie but I liked this variation even better.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 6 servings:

4 large potatoes
2 medium onions
S&P
4-6 eggs

optional:

½ lb. Mexican pork chorizo, fully cooked
This is NOT Spanish chorizo sausage
½ lb. ham, chopped
1 cup sweet-hot peppers

Pic1: tortilla española with chorizo and ham

Directions

The 1st part—frying the onions and potatoes in olive oil—is identical to the base recipe:

Gather all the necessary ingredients.
Peel the potatoes, quarter or dice.
Do not scallop the potatoes. The slices will stick together and might not cook properly.
Peel, halve the onions. Cut them coarsely.
Combine onions and potatoes in a cooking pot. Stir to mix.
I used a small deep-fryer with thermostat for this as a safer alternative in case I got distracted.
Submerge under extra virgin olive oil.
I had to use almost 1 qt. oil.
Set thermostat to 250 ºF. When that temperature has been reached, cook for 15-20 minutes.
This is hotter than boiling water, but not nearly hot enough to fry the potatoes crisp.
Pour the potatoes and onions into a metal colander above a metal pot to catch the oil.
Allow to cool. Reserve the oil.
The oil can be clarified by boiling and re-used as cooking oil.

Here is where the differences start:

Chop the ham. (Pic2)
Fry the chorizo until fully cooked dry. (Pic3)
Break the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs lightly.
Add the potatoes and onions to the eggs. Add S&P to taste. (Pic4)
Optional:
- Add chorizo sausage, diced ham or other ingredients of your choice. (Pic5+6)
Stir everything together. There should be plenty of egg visible between the potatoes.
Find a frying pan and dinner plate of approximately the same size.
Heat some of the reserved oil in that frying pan.
Stir the egg mix again and 'pour' it in the pan.
Spread out evenly and smoothen the surface. (Pic7)
Cook over LOW heat for at least 30 minutes.
I covered the pan to get the top to lightly set already. (Pic8)
The edges should be firmly set and the bottom lightly brown. The inside should still be moist.
When the bottom is brown and firmly set, remove from the heat.
Loosen the edges of the omelet with a spatula. (Pic9)
Push it underneath the omelet to verify it is firm enough and doesn't stick to the pan.
Place the plate over the frying pan.
Turn the pan and plate quickly. Let the omelet fall on the plate.
Oil the frying pan again. (Pic10)
Optional:
- Pour a beaten egg in the pan to get better binding of the new bottom side. (Pic11)
Slide the omelet back in the frying pan (Pic11) and cook for 5-10 minutes over low heat until that side is also firmly set. (Pic12)
Remove from the heat and rest 5 minutes.
Reverse again to serve (Pic13) or serve directly form the pan.
Enjoy.

Pic2: chop the ham
Pic3: fry the chorizo
Pic4: eggs, potatoes

Pic5: chorizo
Pic6: ham, peppers
Pic7: mix, pour, smoothen

Pic8: simmer
Pic9: a bit more before reversing
Pic10: oil the pan

Pic11: reversed, with extra egg
Pic12: all done
Pic13: reversed again, served

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org