davoodtabeshfar

May 26, 20234 min read

Not Spanish Omelette

If I call this a Spanish omelette I'll get a bunch of snippy messages from my Spanish friends telling me I've taken a dump on their national dish - or something equally dramatic. So this is definitely Not Spanish Omelette.

The purist would be outraged at the idea of putting yesterday's chips in their Spanish omelette, but we're not purists, are we. We're resourceful renegades and we'll put any damn potato we please in our omelette. We just won't call it Spanish.

Potato, potaahto

Yesterday's chips are good for this dish but so are old roast or boiled potatoes. By the time you're done, the spuds will have forgotten their original form and become one with the omelette. It's like the Buddhist potato afterlife.

Not Spanish Omelette

~ 4 servings ~

Ingredients

300g leftover chips or cooked potato

6 large eggs

1 large onion

1 tbs salt

Freshly ground black pepper

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

60 ml vegetable oil

Method

Roughly chop your chips into 2 inch pieces.

Peel the onion and halve it vertically (from pointy end to hairy end). Slice it thickly so it's a feature, not just a flavour - 3mm thick is good.

Salt and oil vs misery

If you're put off by the amount of salt and oil in this recipe, you're welcome to reduce both to a level that makes you feel more virtuous. But you won't live any longer, you'll just die of misery instead of heart disease.

Egg can be a bastard to remove from the wrong pan, so choose the right pan. I use a 24 cm non-stick with high sides because I like a thick omelette, slightly runny in the in the middle.

Pour in both oils and heat on low-medium. Add the potato, onion and half the salt. Stir it occasionally to make sure everything's getting a chance to bubble in that oniony oil.

At this point, I'll often stir in chilli flakes, finely chopped rosemary, or ground fennel seeds; yet another reason I'd never dare call this a Spanish omelette.

The chips are already cooked, so you're really just waiting for the onions to soften and catch a little colour.

When the chips and onions look done, pour off the excess oil but keep it safe for the next stage.

Whisk the eggs with the black pepper and remaining salt in a large bowl. Add the still-warm drained onions and chips and stir to combine.

Now for the bit where the magic happens. Let the chips and onions sit in the egg for at least 30 minutes. The chips will soften and soak up eggy, salty, oily, oniony goodness.

I'll often give it a couple of hours if I'm thinking ahead. If you are going to let it sit for more than 30 minutes, please put it in the fridge. I want you to live long enough to buy my cookbook when it comes out.

Dip your finger (FFS wash it first) in the mixture and taste it. Is it salty enough? This dish is particularly disappointing if it's under-seasoned so don't be shy. If you do over salt it, you can always add another whisked egg or two.

Wipe the potato and onion residue from the frying pan and pour the oil you drained off back in. Put the pan on a low-medium heat and when hot, carefully pour in the egg, chip and onion mixture, gently shaking the pan to distribute the thickness evenly.

Let the omelette sit on the heat undisturbed for 8 minutes then take the pan off the heat.

Tip the pan and for the second time, drain off any excess oil into a cup for later.

Now for the messy-stressy bit. We're going to flip the omelette. If you're a coward and a loser, you can bypass this bit by finishing the omelette in a 200C oven for 8 minutes, but you're not a coward and a loser, are you? I didn't think so.

Right, so find yourself a plate that's bigger than the frying pan. I use a thin spatula to ease under the omelette, making sure there are no sections stuck to the pan before I go for the flip. A shake of the pan will show you if the omelette has been released. Place the plate over the top of the pan and with your hand over the plate, turn the whole thing upside down, catching the omelette in the plate.

Put the pan back on the heat and add the oil you just drained off. Slide the omelette back in, obviously with the uncooked side down. With a flat spatula, gently squish down and even out the topside of the omelette.

Using the spatula, tuck the edges down neatly to create a beautifully rounded-off disk. You don't have to do this bit; it's purely for aesthetics, like wearing pants to the shops.

Let it cook for six minutes if you like the centre a little runny, or nine minutes to firm it all up.

And there you go. Enjoy it warm with a zesty little salad, or pop it in the fridge and slice off a snacky wedge every time you walk past.

And just to further inflame my Spanish friends, try it with a drizzle of chilli oil or Sriracha on the side. Lo siento, mis amigos.

Not Spanish Omelette

If I call this a Spanish omelette I'll get a bunch of snippy messages from my Spanish friends telling me I've taken a dump on their national dish - or something equally dramatic. So this is definitely Not Spanish Omelette.

The purist would be outraged at the idea of putting yesterday's chips in their Spanish omelette, but we're not purists, are we. We're resourceful renegades and we'll put any damn potato we please in our omelette. We just won't call it Spanish.

Potato, potaahto

Yesterday's chips are good for this dish but so are old roast or boiled potatoes. By the time you're done, the spuds will have forgotten their original form and become one with the omelette. It's like the Buddhist potato afterlife.

Not Spanish Omelette

~ 4 servings ~

Ingredients

300g leftover chips or cooked potato

6 large eggs

1 large onion

1 tbs salt

Freshly ground black pepper

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

60 ml vegetable oil

Method

Roughly chop your chips into 2 inch pieces.

Peel the onion and halve it vertically (from pointy end to hairy end). Slice it thickly so it's a feature, not just a flavour - 3mm thick is good.

Salt and oil vs misery

If you're put off by the amount of salt and oil in this recipe, you're welcome to reduce both to a level that makes you feel more virtuous. But you won't live any longer, you'll just die of misery instead of heart disease.

Egg can be a bastard to remove from the wrong pan, so choose the right pan. I use a 24 cm non-stick with high sides because I like a thick omelette, slightly runny in the in the middle.

Pour in both oils and heat on low-medium. Add the potato, onion and half the salt. Stir it occasionally to make sure everything's getting a chance to bubble in that oniony oil.

At this point, I'll often stir in chilli flakes, finely chopped rosemary, or ground fennel seeds; yet another reason I'd never dare call this a Spanish omelette.

The chips are already cooked, so you're really just waiting for the onions to soften and catch a little colour.

When the chips and onions look done, pour off the excess oil but keep it safe for the next stage.

Whisk the eggs with the black pepper and remaining salt in a large bowl. Add the still-warm drained onions and chips and stir to combine.

Now for the bit where the magic happens. Let the chips and onions sit in the egg for at least 30 minutes. The chips will soften and soak up eggy, salty, oily, oniony goodness.

I'll often give it a couple of hours if I'm thinking ahead. If you are going to let it sit for more than 30 minutes, please put it in the fridge. I want you to live long enough to buy my cookbook when it comes out.

Dip your finger (FFS wash it first) in the mixture and taste it. Is it salty enough? This dish is particularly disappointing if it's under-seasoned so don't be shy. If you do over salt it, you can always add another whisked egg or two.

Wipe the potato and onion residue from the frying pan and pour the oil you drained off back in. Put the pan on a low-medium heat and when hot, carefully pour in the egg, chip and onion mixture, gently shaking the pan to distribute the thickness evenly.

Let the omelette sit on the heat undisturbed for 8 minutes then take the pan off the heat.

Tip the pan and for the second time, drain off any excess oil into a cup for later.

Now for the messy-stressy bit. We're going to flip the omelette. If you're a coward and a loser, you can bypass this bit by finishing the omelette in a 200C oven for 8 minutes, but you're not a coward and a loser, are you? I didn't think so.

Put the pan back on the heat and add the oil you just drained off. Slide the omelette back in, obviously with the uncooked side down. With a flat spatula, gently squish down and even out the topside of the omelette.

Using the spatula, tuck the edges down neatly to create a beautifully rounded-off disk. You don't have to do this bit; it's purely for aesthetics, like wearing pants to the shops.

Let it cook for six minutes if you like the centre a little runny, or nine minutes to firm it all up.

And there you go. Enjoy it warm with a zesty little salad, or pop it in the fridge and slice off a snacky wedge every time you walk past.

And just to further inflame my Spanish friends, try it with a drizzle of chilli oil or Sriracha on the side. Lo siento, mis amigos.

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