Tortilla Española

Ingredients

• 4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch
• 1 Yellow onion, sliced thin
• ¾ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 Eggs (large)
• 1 ¼ tsp Kosher salt

Method

1. Warm the oil in the skillet over medium-low and add the potatoes and onion with a teaspoon of the salt. They should barely bubble — this is a poach in olive oil, not a fry. Cook 20 minutes, turning gently, until a slice crushes with no resistance and nothing has browned.
2. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl, saving the oil. It is now potato-scented olive oil and is excellent for a week of cooking.
3. Beat the eggs with the remaining salt, add the warm potatoes and onions, and let the mixture stand 10 minutes. That rest is what makes the inside custardy rather than layered.
4. Wipe the pan, return 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil, and heat over medium. Pour everything in and cook 5 minutes, pulling the setting edges in with a spatula, until the sides are firm and the middle still wobbles.
5. The flip: slide it onto a large plate, cover with the pan, and invert in one confident motion over the sink. Slide it back in and cook 3-4 more minutes.
6. Rest it 10 minutes before cutting. The center should be just barely set — Spaniards argue about this, and the runnier camp is right.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Do not brown the potatoes. A pale, soft, oil-poached potato is what gives tortilla its texture; a crisp one gives you a potato omelet.

🧒 For the kids

Potatoes and eggs, cut into wedges, eaten with fingers, good cold in a lunchbox. There is very little to object to.

🥡 Leftovers

Keeps 3 days and is traditionally eaten at room temperature, which makes it one of the great picnic foods.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.