Saturday 19 May 2012

Tortilla or frittata? You decide!

Well, where have I been for the past two months I hear you ask? Wedding venue-hunting, house-hunting and a busy time at work hasn’t left much free time.

But the cakes and cooking hasn’t stopped and I’ve still got lots of lovely recipes up my sleeve to share with you! But before I give you the recipe for this week, I have to say that I’m not entirely sure what it’s actually called.


Jamie Oliver says it’s a Spanish tortilla, and I’ve definitely had tortillas like this at tapas restaurants. Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall on the other hand calls it a frittata – he says the difference is that the frittata is grilled on top unlike the tortilla. I’m confused!!

It doesn’t really matter what it’s called – it’s basically just on omelette with lots of yummy things like potatoes and herbs thrown into it.

It’s become a bit of a Monday night staple in our house as you can use leftover spuds from your Sunday roasts and throw in pretty much anything else you like.

I’ve tried this with chicken and with chorizo and it’s always tasty and satisfying – it’s healthy too and full of protein from the eggs. It’s also a good mid-week tea option because it’s super quick and easy and a leftover slice makes a good lunch the next day with a salad.

You may be thinking, ‘that’s not going to fill me up!’, but believe me it does – if Paul is satisfied with it as a meal, that’s a winner in my eyes.

If you do want something more substantial, this tortilla/frittata or whatever it’s called is perfect for a tapas feast along with salads, chorizo, stuffed peppers and bread with dipping oil.

As I said, you can try different things – just start with the potato, garlic and onion base then throw in anything else you want to try. Below is Jamie Oliver’s recipe and you don’t have to stick rigidly to the quantities but it’s a good guide.

Ingredients
250g leftover baby new potatoes
1 small red onion
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 gloves garlic
½ small bunch of fresh rosemary
8 medium-sized eggs
Rocket salad and olive oil to serve

Method
Chop the potatoes into 1cm chunks and fry in a large frying pan with olive oil.
Roughly chop the red onion and once the potatoes are browned, add the onion along with he fennel seeds and stir to combine.
Leave for a few minutes on a low heat until the onions have cooked then crush the garlic and add to the pan with the rosemary, salt and pepper.
Stir again and leave for a further few minutes.  
Taste and check the seasoning then evenly spread the mixture in the pan.
Beat up the eggs with salt and pepper and pour into the pan. moving the pan around to create a marbled effect with the eggs and cover most of the mixture.
Once the eggs have started to set around the sides, place under a grill to finish off on top and grill until light and fluffy – this only takes a couple of minutes.
Serve with a rocket salad and drizzle with olive oil.