Love always,
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On this particularly chilly Boston morning, I woke with a craving to start my day with something warm and comforting. Naturally, I went to my Saturday morning default, which was inspired by this past summer's two week journey through Spain. Upon arriving in Barcelona this past July, my friend Andria and I found this cute little tapas place that served up some amazing food. As the Spanish observe a mid-afternoon "siesta" or long break from their day (which by the way, I am hard-core lobbying for in the states) there was little open for our still-wanting-lunch-stomachs except for this place. We were famished and sweaty from the hot Spanish sun after a morning of sightseeing our way through the city. We quickly (and happily!) entered this air-conditioned place and ordered what I remember to be at least half the menu rounded out by an ice cold bottle of Cava (Spain's take on champagne). Among the cluttering of various dishes that we ordered, the real star was the Spanish Omelet. It was so simple yet so very delicious. A puffy disk of egg and potatoes fried in olive oil, it kept us coming back. Literally. Looking back, I'm actually embarrassed to reveal how many Spanish omelets I had here. It was just that good.
Upon arrival back home, I couldn't wait to get into my kitchen and recreate my own version of the omelet that I had in Spain. With wafer-thin golden potatoes fried in olive oil until they brown and get a little crispy, this dish is not only a satisfying Saturday morning treat, but can also be a quick weeknight dinner as well. The best part about this dish is its versatility. Below I have just given my basic recipe but I encourage you to play around with different combinations. You can make it light by adding in some spinach and mushrooms or you can thicken it up a bit with some sausage or prosciutto and Manchego cheese. Really, the options are endless here. The real secret here is in the crispy potatoes. I don't peel them first so they are still cloaked in their natural skin and create a nice surprise of a crust to the bottom of the omelet. Whatever you do, don't leave them out!
Spanish Omelet- 3 eggs (I like my omelets to be light and fluffy so I use one full egg and then the whites of the other two eggs)
- 1 baby white potato
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Assorted herbs and seasonings (for this one, I used dried chives, truffle salt and oregano)
- Assorted fillings (for this one I used some goat cheese)
Crack the three eggs into a bowl. Add the herbs and seasonings and whisk together until well combined. Set aside. With a sharp knife, very thinly slice the potatoes and spread them out into a non-stick omelet pan with some extra virgin olive oil. Fry the potatoes on medium heat. Don't flip too often or they won't get crispy. Fry them until they start to really brown and then arrange them in a tight thin layer on the bottom of the pan. (See the above picture) Gently add the egg over the layer of potatoes and jerk your pan back and forth, taking breaks in between to swirl the pan. This ensures that the eggs will cook evenly. Let the eggs sit for a couple of seconds and then swirl the pan around again. Once the eggs have somewhat stopped being watery, add the fillings right down the middle of the pan and on top of the potatoes. With a rubber spatula, gently loosen up the edges of the pan and fold over one side of the omelet and repeat with the other, creating a blanket. Let it sit on the heat for a minute or two so that the cheese has a chance to melt. Top with and additional garnishes (I like to top mine with a bit of coarse sea salt and extra chives).
2 comments:
what a perfect dish to make one feel they are eating something exciting and different. As I love fried potatoes and the versatility of adding any ingredient you have on hand, this is guaranteed to make my family think I have been a slave to the kitchen all day! Again, thanks Katie for suggesting a perfect meal!!
As someone who has had the pleasure of eating Kate's Spanish Omelet, I must say it tastes even better than you could imagine.
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