- One medium sized onion finely shopped (or less finely for a more rustic style)
- 3-4 potatoes (varies greatly based on pan and potato size) sliced thin
- 2 eggs, maybe more depending on potato volume - see below
- Salt (amount - you're on your own. But more than a mostly-egg omelette)
- Olive oil, preferably lighter, for cooking, not virgin, mirgin
Fry the potatoes and onion together (add onion earlier, before potatoes, for more caramelized flavor, later if you believe Minou/Josep - together if it's your first time).
Note: the oil shouldn't be maximum hot, it's more like boiling in oil than frying.
Once the potatoes are cooked through, take them out of the oil and put them in a deep bowl. The more you drain them of oil before they hit the bowl, the better.
Beat the eggs - the more the better so it aerates - separately then pour on the potatoes and mix. The eggs should act as a glue. There should be no free-flowing egg liquid. You can beat more eggs than you need and decide how much you use when you pour.
Add salt as you mix. Let rest for 15-30 mins.
Take the oil out (store it if you want but you'll end up dumping it later anyway) but use barely a tablespoon-full to put back into the pan for the final step. Note: the pan should be smooth and free of stuck pieces and black soot. The best way to clean is to rub with a paper towel dipped in the leftover oil.
Start heating the pan with very little oil and, before it's hot, pour in the mixture and flatten. Should be 1.5-2 inches thick. Cook at medium heat. When the bottom is cooked enough that it's firm, preferably before it's too brown, put a large plate on top of the pan, like a lid, then flip the whole thing such that the uncooked part is sitting on the plate and the cooked part is on top. Put the pan back on the fire and slide the half-cooked tortilla back into the pan without breaking. Cook until done but don't overcook (undercook if you're Josep).
Slide out onto another plate (same plate if you're Josep) and let cool until it's just warm at most, not hot – better: room temp.
Serve with pa amb tomacat.
-- Pegor