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The Basque region straddles the Pyrenees mountains, encompassing parts of northern Spain and France. With a rich culinary history and wide range of gastronomical offerings, it is difficult to choose one dish to represent so many flavors and traditions within the geographic Basque region. But today, we will travel to northern Spain to cook up a Spanish tortilla, also known as “tortilla de patatas” or “tortilla Española.”
This potato-based dish may remind you of a frittata and is perfect to eat as a tapa, breakfast, snack or dinner. You can eat it on its own with thin slices of jambon de Bayonne and a firm sheep’s cheese, such as Manchego or Ossau-Iraty, or you can slice the tortilla into two and sandwich the ham and cheese in between. Enjoy!
Basque Potato and Pepper Tortilla
Serves: 8 to 10
Start to finish: 1 hour
2/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
10 large eggs
Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). In a large oven-safe skillet, warm 1/3 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add another 1/3 cup oil, potatoes, bell peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper and cook until the oil begins to simmer. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer vegetables to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Rinse out skillet; wipe dry and place back on the stove.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are foamy. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour eggs over vegetables and stir gently to combine.
In the clean skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the egg-vegetable mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until the eggs begin to set on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Spread vegetables into an even layer and reduce heat to medium. Cook the tortilla, shaking the skillet occasionally until eggs are halfway cooked, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the top of the tortilla is about set, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat to broil and cook until the top begins to brown lightly and tortilla is fully set when shaken, about 2 to 4 minutes.
When done, use a spatula to gently move tortilla out of skillet onto cutting board. Cut into slices and serve. (This recipe was adapted from Saveur.com.)
