Tortilla Española

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place the onions, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Peel the potatoes, quarter them lengthwise, and slice those crosswise into 1/8th inch tiles. (A mandoline is great for this.) Add them to the onion mixture and season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt.

2. Step 2

   Heat the oil over high heat in a 12-inch, deep-sided skillet (preferably nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron). Drop 1 potato tile into the oil as it heats; when it floats and then begins to fry vigorously, carefully add all the potato-onion mixture and stir gently.

3. Step 3

   Cook the potatoes at a vigorous simmer, stirring occasionally so they don’t brown too much on the bottom, until they are very soft but not quite losing their shape, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes through a colander and let them cool until warm.

4. Step 4

   Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Taste the potatoes for salt and season the eggs with salt accordingly. Stir the potatoes into the eggs.

5. Step 5

   Place the skillet over medium high heat. When it is very hot, pour in the potato mixture, spread evenly and turn heat to medium. Using a spatula, gently pull the edges of the tortilla towards the center to release them from the pan and let any liquid egg run out the sides.

6. Step 6

   After 4 minutes, cover the pan with the bottom of an oiled baking sheet. Using towels or oven mitts, carefully flip the pan onto the sheet, place the pan back over the heat, then slide the inverted tortilla back into the pan. Cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes. Both sides of the tortilla should be golden brown.

7. Step 7

   Insert a long skewer into the side of the tortilla to see how wet it is inside. Some prefer the inside a little moist, some fully cooked. You can continue to cook it, flipping the tortilla as described once a minute, until it’s done to your liking. Serve warm or at room temperature.