When I saw on the website that this weeks task was a Potato Tortilla, I immediately shared this info with Eli. One of his most requested dish is this exact dish, yet the one that I make is inspired by a trip to Spain.
In 1990, Miquel and I spent a little over 3 weeks traveling through Spain. Once we landed in Madrid, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Upon arriving in Spain, I was a vegetarian. Although I was loving the city, the culture, the people, and the architecture, I could not find much to eat. In the windows of every tapas bar, store front window, and market I marveled at the pigs heads hanging in the window, various body parts of my friend the cow, and other non-vegetarian culinary fare.
After a few days in Madrid, we headed south-east to a Parador in Toledo. Upon arriving, we took a swim, we napped, and then got ready for dinner. I put on a simple sun dress and then we walked down to the dining room. I read and re-read the menu searching for something that didn’t contain an animal in it. It was near impossible. Had we been in Rome, I could have devoured bowls and bowls of pasta, but we weren’t anywhere near Rome and I had to eat. I was famished.
Without thinking about it, I ordered the lamb stew! The lamb stew!!! It arrived and dug in with both fists. I ate it as if it was my last meal and devoured every last morsel of it. And I did it happily. We continued to travel South, landing in Cadiz and then Seville. I want to die in Seville. Seville is the perfect city. I loved every square inch of it; the cobbled stone streets, the narrow pathways, the food. I ate huge steaks, Sicilian pizza with sausage, slabs of bacon, ham and cheese tortas, and ice cream. I came to Spain a vegetarian and departed a carnivore.
After several days wondering the streets of Seville, we headed to the coast. We stumbled upon the Parador in Nerja. We weren’t planning on straying in Nerja, but when we stopped there for lunch, we couldn’t leave. We checked into the Parador and headed to the beach for dinner. Scattered throughout the beach were tiny little huts(I don’t remember what they were called) and we sat at the first one and ordered gazpacho and potato tortilla. I cannot count how many potato tortillas I ate that trip, and even if it was 100, that would not have been enough. They were delicious. When we returned home from our trip I made potato tortillas everyday for almost a month. Not as good as the ones on the beach in Nerja, but good enough.
Dorie’s recipe for potato tortilla is just as good, if not better than the one’s I ate on our trip to Spain. Prior to making Dorie’s I would always make them using up left over roasted potatoes. The potatoes and the onions in her dish are cooked slowly and for a long time, over a simmering fire. Thus creating creamy, not starchy, tough potatoes. Dorie’s recipe is the perfect ratio of onion, to potato to egg. I made this for lunch last Sunday and served it room temperature with a simple side salad of baby lettuce, pearl tomatoes, and a classic vinaigrette. I have already had requests for another potato tortilla. Will do. And will do it happily!
Basque Potato Tortilla
page 142 – around my french table
yield: 4 servings
Want more egg dishes? Check these out:
Baked Ham + Cheese Omelet Roll – Dine and Dish
Asparagus + Smoked Salmon Fritatta – Dishing up Delights
Brazilian Breakfast – Kitchen Corners
Egg in a Nest – Pinch my Salt
Scrambled Eggs with Wild Arugula + Pesto – Organic Spark
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[…] 11/13/13 Bosque Spanish Tortilla (I wrote about mine here). Recipe for one similar here. Tomato, Feta, Red Onion, and Green Olive Salad (with this […]
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We will have to try this one!
Your blog could not be more ideal for me right now. Every thing I see I want! You hit it all, sweet and savory… testing and teasing my taste buds. Love it all!
You are way too sweet, Amanda! This is something your whole family could eat and enjoy! x
Beautiful photos, especially the one with the salad. And I loved your story of Spain , it still has me chuckling.
Sandy, thanks for the compliment! Writing this post reminded me of how desperately I need a trip abroad! Maybe if I “dream it” it will come!
I am really loving this series since I own the cookbook so it’s fun to see how everyone does with the recipes!!! This would be a perfect weeknight meal and one that I know my family would devour – loved reading about your trip to Spain – it is definitely on my bucket list!!
Remembering Spain reminds me that we all need to see the world and taste the foods of other cultures. Spain is one of those magical countries, Nancy! I would love to go again and this time go to the northern region!
Loved reading about your travels. Makes me want to go. I’d be the same way … in search of non-meat foodies.
I love traveling! I hope to go on a journey in the coming year!
Don’t you just love how food can transport us to travel memories? Your tortilla looks delicious!
Yes! I have not thought about Spain for sometime now. What I love most is how this blog forces me to relive my past – through food! Also, it creates wonderful connections and new found “virtual” friendships!
What a beautiful creation! Thanks so much for sharing. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Georgia – have a good weekend yourself!
Love the post Susan as usual. Hope we can meet one day at blog camp. Your travels make me envious. B:)
Thanks, Beth! Are you in California? Have a terrific weekend!
Susan, thanks for sharing such dear memories with us! Wish I could head over to Europe to create some memories (though the hanging animals would spook me a bit too) Love seeing the recipe for Basque Potato Tortilla’s floating around. Well done!
I need a European adventure. I am willing Paris in the year 2011! Wanna join me?
lovely pictures! you make me want to go to spain!
Totally impressed. It looks amazing. I want to try it now! Had to laugh-I ended my vegetarianism in Florence!
Isn’t it funny how that happens? It’s so hard to go to another country and follow your routine! Yet, I never looked back!!!
PS. Can’t get those tater tots out of my mind…
I really like tortilla… With a glass of wine it is so good! Looks great Susan!
Very nice. Definitely was amused on how Spain turned you to the “meat side”.
I’m loving the savory bent that FFwd has unleashed in you! And, I was drawn in by the homemade tater tots 🙂 Thanks for sharing your beautiful memories of Spain – have yet to travel there, but will be going to Paris again this year!
Paris is on my agenda this year as well. Don’t know when nor how, but I will get there – come heck or high water!!!!
What a lovely post. I brought to mind a visit I made to Spain when my mother lived there, near Cadiz. Your tortilla looks delicious. I love the chicken bowl holding your eggs!
Hi Betsy, nice to meet you! The bowl is either from Anthropology or World Market. I pick stuff up when I see it and I have been looking for an excuse to
use it! Cadiz – wow. I wish I had a relative who lived in Europe that I could visit!!!
Very nice looking tortilla! We all enjoyed this recipe too! I love your dishes!!
Thanks for the story of Spain – traveling definitely changes our horizons, and I cannot imagine a better country in which to become an omnivore than Spain:)
I liked the tortilla, but next time I will definitely experiment with different additions.
(I am afraid to look for Anthropologie here in Orange County – Home Goods and World Market are dangerous enough:)