MOVE OVER, LATKES, IT´S TORTILLA TIME

 Eggs, potatoes and oil are the basic ingredients for latkes, potato pancakes or patties, a beloved food for the holiday of Hanukkah (begins Sunday evening, Nov. 28). Not so very different is the tortilla de patatas, Spanish potato tortilla, a sort of “omelet” or “cake” with eggs and potatoes cooked in olive oil. 

Potato tortilla, an alternative to latkes? Similar ingredients--eggs and potatoes cooked in olive oil.

Hanukkah is a celebration of olive oil. The holiday marks the victory in the 2nd Century BC of the Maccabees over an occupying force and the re-lighting of the menorah in the Temple. The olive oil for the menorah, enough for a single day, lasted for eight days and nights.

Tortilla is another great way to celebrate with olive oil. Different than latkes, but just as delicious. In any case, Hanukkah lasts eight days. There’s plenty of time to try tortilla as well.

The classic tortilla is simply potatoes and eggs with a little chopped onion, but you can easily customize your version, incorporating parsley or other herbs, spinach or other vegetable, mushrooms, roasted red peppers. (See below for links to more tortilla recipes.) 

Serve tortilla for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, tapas or dinner! In Spain, tortilla is not generally served with a sauce. I’ve noticed that American-style tapas bars like to present it with a piquant alioli (garlic mayonnaise). My kids always liked it with ketchup! Serve tortilla with a heap of fried green peppers or roasted red peppers on the side, with sautéed mushrooms or tomato salad. Add some smoked salmon and call it brunch. Pair tortilla with tomato soup for a terrific lunch. 

My tortilla is a little ragged on the edges. It is about 2 inches thick, still a little juicy in the center. 

Latkes are often served accompanied by apple sauce and/or sour cream. That didn't seem quite right with tortilla, but tangy apple chutney and a dollop of Greek yogurt are perfect!

You can make a pastel de tortilla or stacked tortilla cake, combining three small tortillas of potatoes, spinach and red peppers. Spread it with bechamel and grated cheese and brown under the broiler. Cut the stack like a cake.

Unlike latkes, which use grated raw potatoes, the tortilla is made with sliced potatoes that are cooked first in olive oil, then combined with beaten eggs. The mixture doesn’t need any flour or crumbs. It does take patience, to slowly cook the potatoes in oil.

Classic Potato Tortilla

Tortilla de Patatas

Use olive oil—preferably extra virgin—for this recipe. You shouldn’t use the highest quality/expensive oil, as delicate flavor is lost in the cooking process. 

Don’t try to scimp on the quantity of olive oil. You need enough oil to cover the potatoes, so they cook evenly in little time. The potatoes soak up very little of the cooking oil. The oil--as long as it's olive oil-- can be strained and used again, so it is not wasted.  

What variety of potato is best for tortilla? Preferred are what in Spain are labelled “para freir,” frying potatoes. Use new potatoes, not mature ones. Suggested varieties are Kennebec, Monalisa and Agria. 

Potatoes can be peeled and sliced in advance of cooking the tortilla. Cover the sliced potatoes with water to keep them from turning dark. Drain well and pat dry before adding them to the heated oil.

A truco, cook’s “trick”: use a large deep skillet to cook the potatoes in oil, so there is no danger of the mixture overflowing the sides of the pan. Then use a smaller, lightweight, no-stick skillet to cook the tortilla. You absolutely don’t want a cast-iron skillet for the tricky flipping of the pan. A 10-inch skillet produces a 2-inch thick tortilla using the ingredients as given in this recipe. 

The potatoes don’t “fry” but rather, “poach” in the oil. Moderate the heat so the oil bubbles gently (oil temperature around 200ºF, whereas frying temperature is 360ºF). If potatoes begin to brown, lower the heat further. How long to cook them depends on the type of potato and cooking temperature. Mine were ready in 12 minutes. Add the chopped onions after the potatoes have been cooking 8 minutes or so, so they don’t brown too quickly.

Serves 4-8.

Tortilla ingredients.

2 pounds frying potatoes

4 cups olive oil

¾ cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

Peel the potatoes. Cut big ones in half or quarters lengthwise. Slice them crosswise ¼-inch thick. 

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet on moderately high heat. Carefully add the potatoes. They may splutter at first when moisture hits the hot oil. Gently stir the potatoes so all are evenly mixed with the oil. Then lower the heat to medium. Cook the potatoes in the oil, stirring them occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Use lots of olive oil to "poach" the potatoes. Best to use a deep skillet for cooking the potatoes, then a smaller one to cook the tortilla. 

Add the onions to the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes are completely tender, 4-5 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat. Place a heat-proof sieve or colander over a heat-proof bowl. Use a skimmer to lift the potatoes out of the oil into the sieve. Sprinkle the potatoes with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Allow the excess oil to drain from the potatoes. Allow the oil remaining in the pan to cool.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Gradually mix the potatoes with the eggs, making sure all of them are coated with egg. (If raw egg is not a problem for you, taste the mixture and add additional salt if desired.)

Eggs almost set, tortilla is ready to flip.

Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in the deep skillet to a smaller (10-inch) skillet and heat on moderately-high. Pour in the egg-potato mixture and spread it evenly. Use a wooden or heat-proof spatula to stir the mixture briefly. Reduce the heat to moderate and let the mixture begin to set on the bottom, without browning. Shake the skillet occasionally to make sure the egg-potatoes are not sticking to the bottom. Cook until the top of the egg-potatoes begins to thicken and set, 4-5 minutes. Although you cannot check the bottom, it should be golden, not browned. 

Place a flat plate on top of the skillet. Use a towel or hot pad to grip the handle of the skillet. Place the other hand flat against the plate to hold it firmly in place. Working over a bowl to catch any possible drips, lift the skillet and turn it upside down, releasing the tortilla onto the plate. 

Reverse the tortilla onto a flat plate, then slide it back into the skillet to finish cooking.

Carefully, ease the tortilla back into the skillet to cook on the bottom, 3 minutes. The center will remain a little juicy. If you like the eggs cooked completely, cook a little longer, taking care not to let the bottom brown too much.

Remove the pan from the heat. Tip the pan and slide the tortilla out onto a serving dish.

To serve, cut the tortilla into 8 wedges. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

When the cooking oil has cooled, strain it into a bowl or jar. Use it for frying and sautéeing. 

After cooking the tortilla, the olive oil has been strained. I started with 4 cups of oil--I've got almost 3 ½  cups left. Olive oil can be reused two or three times. 

To serve with tortilla:

Roasted Bell Peppers.

Fried Green Peppers.

Piquillo Pepper Ketchup.

Green Chile Sauce (Mojo Verde).

Garlic Mayonnaise (Alioli).

Tomato Sauce.

Apple-Mango Chutney.

More versions of tortilla:

Eggplant Tortilla.

All-Onion Tortilla.

Tortilla with Zucchini and Potatoes.

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate. Happy Cooking with Olive Oil to Everyone Else.