The Spanish tortilla is a Spanish national dish.

They come in several varieties. The most common variant is with potatoes and onions.

Here is the original recipe for a Spanish tortilla as it is made in Spanish households.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium-sized potatoes
• 1 onion
• 5 eggs (hen's eggs)
• Salt
• Oil

Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices. Then place in a pan and pour plenty of oil over them. Season with salt, cover and cook the potatoes in the oil for about 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally and test the potatoes for softness.

When the potatoes are soft, pour the contents of the pan into a sieve. Collect the frying oil in a container, as you can use it again.

Drain the potatoes well.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onions and crack the eggs into a bowl and mix well.

Add the potatoes and onions to the scrambled eggs and mix everything together well.

Fill a medium-high frying pan with a large amount of oil and heat. Pour the potato mix into the heated oil and press flat. Now put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer in the oil for a good 10 minutes over a low heat.

When the tortilla is brown in colour, it can be removed from the pan.

Tip: The secret to a successful Spanish tortilla is the amount of oil you fry it in. The Spanish use up to a whole litre of olive oil, which makes the tortilla nice and juicy and holds together like a cake.

The Spanish use a tortilla platter, a plate with a non-slip base, to serve the tortilla.

To remove the tortilla from the pan, use the foot of the plate as a handle and place it on the tortilla like a lid. Then turn the pan upside down over the sink so that the tortilla is now on the plate and can be served.

The Spanish tortilla can be served with a fresh salad or as a side dish. In Spain, it is served as a tapa. It also tastes good in a sandwich, simply place a piece of tortilla between two slices of bread.

Variations on the traditional tortilla:

Potato tortilla without onions
Use green asparagus or spinach instead of potatoes
Normal potato tortilla with bacon or with green asparagus tips