Mother's Day Brunch: Spanish Tortilla with(out) Zucchini

Spanish Tortilla with (out) Zucchini

My first food blog love is undoubtably Smitten Kitchen.  The recipes are fabulous and the index is extensive and the photos are clear and delicious.  I have ventured into a lot of interesting cooking territory with these beautiful recipes in the last year.  Earlier this summer I choose a Tapas theme for a small dinner party with my some girlfriends form high school and there husbands.  And what is Tapas with out a Spanish Tortilla?  So I looked on Smitten Kitchen, and sure enough she had a great recipe.  I've made it several times since, adding different quantities of zucchini with different amounts of success.

Ingredients

4 large yukon potatoes

or 3 potatoes and 1 zucchini

1 1/2 cups olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

1 onion

6 eggs

salt and pepper

You begin this recipe by peeling and quartering your potatoes.  Then slice the quarters into this slices.  I don't have many devices in my kitchen, so I do all this slicing by hand.  Dry off the potato slices by squeezing them with some paper towels. Heat up your oil in a deep non-stick pan, I absolutely use my cast iron for this recipe, it works perfect.  Once the oil is hot, add your potatoes in delicate layers and stir gently to keep from sticking for a few minutes.  Next add your garlic and onion also sliced very thinly.  If you are substituting some zucchini (or green beans or kale or cauliflower or...) add that now as well.  Cook for about 15 minutes more at medium low heat.  Keep gently mixing with big wooden spoon to keep from sticking to the pan.  Once the potatoes have softeneed turn off the heat and let cool a few minutes, then strain the potatoes, saving the oil.  Allow the potatoes to cool for a little while so they aren't too hot when you add your eggs.  Whisk your six eggs with some salt, I add some delicious spanish smoked paprika at this point as well.  Put cooked potatoes in big bowl add pour eggs on top then smoosh it a bit, getting the eggs to soak through the layers of potatoes.  Now you will have needed to clean and dry your pan and now you can reheat it at medium high and add 1/2 cup of reserved olive oil.  When it is hot, pour in potato egg mixture and cook about ten minutes.  Keep sliding a spatula around the edges and gently jiggling the pan to keep tortilla from sticking.  When it has begun to cook quite nicely around all edges and is becoming somewhat firm, sandwhich your pan with a big plate and flip tortilla over onto plate.  I then clean and dry my pan and reheat again with 1/2 cup remaining olive oil.  When hot, gently slide tortilla back in pan and coom for another 5-10 minutes.  Flip onto plate again and garnish with some fresh herbs.  This is great the next day served old with salad and baguette!