POTATO AND ARTICHOKE TORTILLA WITH ROSEMARY

Tortilla, or Spanish Omelette - one of the best pantry foods in my book; and this version with additional artichokes and rosemary is quite irresistible! Not that Spanish Omelette was at all in any need of improvement, but with the artichokes adding freshness, crunchiness,  and superb flavour, and the rosemary a distinct piney perfume, this one's a real keeper. It's delicious fresh out of the pan, slightly cooled to room-temperature, but also cold straight from the fridge. You can eat it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, as appetizer or dinner (or at any time in between, straight from the fridge, when you feel peckish...). There is literally no temperature at which, and no time of day when, you cannot eat Spanish Omelette. And if you have managed to keep some for the next day you will find it's even nicer, as all the aromas had time to infuse the potatoes and eggs.

I usually make the classic Spanish potato tortilla ('Tortilla de Patatas'), but after having seen a version including artichokes at smitten kitchen I was immediately intrigued, and finally got round to making it. Although in the end this is a mix of 3 recipes: inspired by smitten kitchen, based on Deliah Smith's Tortilla recipe, and with the addition of rosemary as seen in Nigel Slater's version. The result: we are hooked.

And the nice thing, no tedious cleaning of artichokes, just open a jar! It's so simple to make. All you do is fry the onions and potatoes, add the artichokes and rosemary. Toss the pre-fried mix with the raw egg and fry once more for the final result. It's a bit more lengthy than an Italian Frittata due to the additional potatoes that require more cooking, but it's absolutely no effort. Also, with a non-stick frying pan it does not require the big amount of oil that are used in Tortillas traditionally fried in a cast-iron pan.

Inspired by: potato and artichoke tortilla, Deb Perelman, smitten kitchen
Recipe basis: 'Tortilla', from Deliah Smith's 'How To Cook' cookbook
With additional rosemary, as seen at: Artichoke and Rosemary Tortilla, Nigel Slater, the guardian

Serves app. 4 as a light main course:

1 large or 2 smaller onions, app. 160 g
1 glass marinated artichokes, 285 g net weight
Ca. 400 g small hard-boiling potatoes
7 eggs
3 Tbsp olive oil
Ca. 1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Frying pan with a rounded edge and lid, app. 30cm size

Peel the onions, cut them in half and then into small half-moon stripes. Peel the potatoes, cut them into app. 3 mm thick slices then pat them dry with a fresh kitchen towel. You have to work fast so that the potatoes don't start to brown.

Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan over hight heat. When the oil starts to shimmer add the onions and potatoes and fry for a couple of minutes until evenly coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper, stir well. Cover the pan with a lid, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and leave to cook for app. 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir a couple of times. The potatoes should not fry or brown, but rather stew in the oil.

Drain the oil from the artichokes, then cut them into smaller wedges. Chop the rosemary and parsley.

Add the artichokes and herbs to the pan and fry together with the onions and potatoes for app. 5 minutes. Remove from the heat source and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the slightly cooled potatoes to the eggs and mix very well so that they are evenly coated.

Meanwhile increase the heat back to medium. Add the last 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan, then pour the egg mixture into the hot pan, spreading it out evenly and creating a smooth flat surface on top.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook the tortilla (without lid!) for app. 20-40 mins (this will depend on the size of your pan and the thickness of the tortilla) or until the egg is no longer runny on top. When the eggs just start to set, draw the edges inwards with a spatula or pallet knife once in a while to give the tortilla it's typical round edge.

When the egg is fully set on top, place a large plate or flat lid on top of the tortilla, then quickly flip the pan together with the plate so that the tortilla now rests up-side-down on the plate. Slide the tortilla back into the pan with the help of a palette knife. (Important: make sure that the egg is fully set on top before turning the tortilla, as otherwise the ingredients will get stuck on the plate. If necessary, put the tortilla under a hot grill for a couple of seconds to fully set the egg.)

Cook the tortilla for another 2 mins on the other side, then turn off the heat and leave to stand for another 5 minutes. TIP: If you prefer your Tortilla more browned, turn up the heat at the very end and leave to brown on the outside. Alternatively you can also put it under the grill at the end to get a nice brown crust. Cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature with fresh salad and Rioja. Or cut into bite-size cubes or triangles and serve on cocktail sticks as part of Tapas. Makes a great Picnic treat.

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POTATO AND ARTICHOKE TORTILLA 

Serves app. 4 as a light main course:

1 large or 2 smaller onions, app. 160 g

1 glass marinated artichokes, 285 g net weight

Ca. 400 g small hard-boiling potatoes

7 eggs

3 Tbsp olive oil

Ca. 1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary

1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Frying pan with a rounded edge and lid, app. 30cm size

1) Prepare the onions and potatoes: Peel the onions, cut them in half and then into small half-moon stripes. Peel the potatoes, cut them into app. 3 mm thick slices then pat them dry with a fresh kitchen towel. You have to work fast so that the potatoes don't start to brown.

2) Fry the onions and potatoes: Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan over hight heat. When the oil starts to shimmer add the onions and potatoes and fry for a couple of minutes until evenly coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper, stir well. Cover the pan with a lid, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and leave to cook for app. 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir a couple of times. The potatoes should not fry or brown, but rather stew in the oil.

3) Prepare the artichokes and herbs: Drain the oil from the artichokes, then cut them into smaller wedges. Chop the rosemary and parsley.

4) Add the artichokes and herbs to the pan: Add the artichokes and herbs to the pan and fry together with the onions and potatoes for app. 5 minutes. Remove from the heat source and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.

5) Mix the eggs and potato mix: Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the slightly cooled potatoes to the eggs and mix very well so that they are evenly coated.

6) Pur the egg mix into in the pan: Meanwhile increase the heat back to medium. Add the last 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan, then pour the egg mixture into the hot pan, spreading it out evenly and creating a smooth flat surface on top.

7) Cook the tortilla: Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook the tortilla (without lid!) for app. 20-40 mins (this will depend on the size of your pan and the thickness of the tortilla) or until the egg is no longer runny on top. When the eggs just start to set, draw the edges inwards with a spatula or pallet knife once in a while to give the tortilla it's typical round edge.

8) Flip the tortilla over: When the egg is fully set on top, place a large plate or flat lid on top of the tortilla, then quickly flip the pan together with the plate so that the tortilla now rests up-side-down on the plate. Slide the tortilla back into the pan with the help of a palette knife. (Important: make sure that the egg is fully set on top before turning the tortilla, as otherwise the ingredients will get stuck on the plate. If necessary, put the tortilla under a hot grill for a couple of seconds to fully set the egg.)

9) Cook on other side: Cook the tortilla for another 2 mins on the other side, then turn off the heat and leave to stand for another 5 minutes. TIP: If you prefer your Tortilla more browned, turn up the heat at the very end and leave to brown on the outside. Alternatively you can also put it under the grill at the end to get a nice brown crust. 

10) Serve: Cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature with fresh salad and Rioja. Or cut into bite-size cubes or triangles and serve on cocktail sticks as part of Tapas. Makes a great Picnic treat.