Did you ever have one of those meals that you simply cannot forget? One of those dining experiences that leaves you drunk on its memory? Well, I have been daydreaming about a certain Spanish omelet for almost a year now. Unfortunately, I cannot have the experience again so easily because the backdrop took place in a small Mexican town on the Yucatan Peninsula. It was a restaurant (a name in which I cannot recall) on the beach (yes, toes in sand while dining) and it was dusk when this delightful experience happened.
Friday night I had the notion to make a delicious Spanish omelet of my own. A Spanish omelet is often called a Spanish tortilla. It is comprised of potato, onion and eggs. While it is a popular staple of Spain, the recipes and styles vary widely -just do a search online for 'Spanish Omelet' and it is evidence that there are so many recipes. I looked at quite a few recipes which I used as a springboard and then did my own thing. The following list of ingredients feeds two people perfectly.
It would be a lie to say that I never have mishaps in the kitchen. It seems only fair to share my errors because those very errors are indeed as inspiring and telling as kitchen successes. So although the omelet ultimately tasted delicious it looked horrid and nothing like my memory of the omelet by the sea.
- 4 eggs
- 3 potatoes (grated)
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- Olive Oil (a couple of glugs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
I started off with olive oil, garlic and onions. Once the onions and garlic were browned I removed them from the pan and set them aside. I added another gulg of olive oil to the pan and then added the grated potatoes. Once those were brown I added them to the bowl which contained the onions. Then I added the eggs and mixed well. I poured everything into the pan and the cooking began.
Now in hindsight, everything went wrong at the grated potato stage. I will do two things differently next time: cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks so they and brown better as well as make certain I use a larger frying pan.
When the omelet has reached a golden brown, use a plate to flip it over. Cook the other side. Like I mentioned, this omelet was tasty however not very sexy.
That being said, this recipe will have to be tried again. To be continued...
