I tried to write this post late last night after all kids had been tucked to bed. I was sitting in our couch with my laptop on my knee and a bar of dark chocolate, a jar of salted almonds and a glass of water within reach. I was ready to do this. The next thing I remember is Isac’s hand pulling my hair three hours later. A dream had woken him up and he wanted me to come sleep next to him. I took a quick look at my computer and realized I had written zero words. So, new try today. This time I’m sitting at an outside cafe in broad daylight so I’ll hopefully not fall asleep here.
Today’s recipe is an autumnal approach on tortilla. You know that potato and egg cake that is sold on the counter of literally every corner shop, cafe and tapas bar in Spain. It’s a great snack and super popular with our kids whenever we are in Barcelona so we have started making it at home as well.
It’s easy to get lost in the Spanish tortilla vs Italian frittata discussion. When I previewed the first version of this recipe on Instagram, I already received some comments that “this isn’t a Spanish tortilla”. Well of course not. It’s a Swedish tortilla. Seriously though, I realize that we have bent this recipe quite far – adding kale and mushrooms to it and changing the cooking method a bit – but it is still tastes like a tortilla to me. It’s more potato based than a frittata and slightly firmer so that it can be cut out into triangles and eaten with your hands either warm or cold. We finish it in the oven rather than flipping it (which apparently is more common for a frittata) but it’s just because we are lazy and it’s the easiest method. And semantics aside, the most important part is that it tastes really good, has a short ingredient list and has quickly become one of our favorite last minute dinner solutions.
First time we made this autumn version was a few weeks ago after I had scored a huge bag of funnel chanterelles at the market. After having made this stew on the first night and a version of this sandwich for lunch the day after, their were still mushrooms left in the bag. So we added them to a dinner tortilla. It’s amazing how you can turn a simple tortilla into a dinner just by adding some more vegetables to it. Especially if you also serve it with a side salad.
These particular mushrooms are cheaper than chanterelles and usually easier to find in large quantities in the forest. But if you can’t find them, just use regular chanterelles or any another mushroom.
Here are a few tips and tricks that we use when making tortilla.
• Don’t bother peeling the potatoes. If you use fresh and scrubbed potatoes, keeping the peal on not only saves time, but also makes your tortilla more rustic looking. Dicing the potatoes instead of slicing it also improves the rustic look.
• Traditionally in a tortilla, the onion is first sautéed for 15 minutes and then the potatoes are fried in LOTS of olive oil for another 20-30 minutes but we prefer precooking the diced potatoes in water instead (while the onion is sautéing). It saves time and calls for less oil. If you have precooked potatoes leftover in the fridge, they are perfect for this dish.
• We actually prefer making this with butter instead of olive oil because it’s more heat resistant and it brings out the best flavor in mushrooms. But you can of course use any oil of preference.
• Fry the mushrooms on a low/medium heat. Don’t crowd the pan and always listen for the sizzle. If you cant hear them sizzling, the temperature is too low.
• Luise has developed an intolerance against garlic (especially raw) so we have kept it out of this recipe, but I bet it could be good along with the mushrooms and kale.
• If you don’t like kale, try it with spinach. Or use the same method with other vegetables.
• Feta cheese is also really good in this combination. Just crumble it into the egg mixture.
• We finish the tortilla in the oven because it’s easier, but you can flip it by sliding the half-cooked frittata onto a plate. It will still be some liquid in the middle so you need to be careful doing this. Than you place the saucepan over the frittata (and plate) and simply flip it upside down while holding the plate as a lid so it falls down into the sauce pan. And then fry it for a few more minutes on that side.
Kale, Mushroom & Potato Tortilla
Makes approx 8 slices
1 onion
350 g / 2 1/2 cups firm potatoes, diced
5 tbsp butter or oil
2 cups / 100 g Funnel chanterelles (or any other mushroom)
2 leaves / 30 g kale, stems removed
1 large handful fresh parsley
6-8 eggs (depending on the size)
salt and pepper
Set the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Add water to a medium size saucepan along with salt and bring to a boil. Peel and chop the onions. Scrub and dice the potatoes into 1-2 cm / 1/2 inch cubes. Heat 1 tbsp butter in an ovenproof frying pan. Sauté the onions on low heat for about 10-15 minutes until soft and translucent, stir occasionally. Meanwhile add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook for about 13-15 minutes on medium heat, they should be just done. Drain the cooking water and add the potatoes to the saucepan with onions, along with one more tablespoon butter and a little salt. Sauté for a few minutes more to give the potatoes some flavor and color. Pour the onion and potatoes into a separate bowl and put the saucepan back on the heat.
Clean the mushrooms, slice them into desired size and add to the pan along with a knob of butter. Fry the mushrooms on low/medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until they have released some moisture and started caramelizing. Rinse the kale, chop finely and add it to the pan along with fresh parsley. Let wilt down for a few minutes. Add salt and then pour into the bowl with potatoes.
Wipe the saucepan clean and put it back on the heat along with a knob of butter. Crack the eggs in a bowl, add salt and pepper and whisk. Pour the vegetables into the egg mixture and then tip it into the warm saucepan (it’s essential that the pan is warm and buttered for the tortilla not to stick to it). Let it fry for about two minutes (preferably with a lid or a plate on top) and then place the pan in the oven (without lid) and switch on the broiler. After about 10 minutes it should be firm, golden and ready. Wait a few minutes for it to cool down and then run a spatula around the edges to make sure it comes off easily. Cut into triangles and serve with a side salad. It can also be stored in the fridge for a couple of days.
PS! Look at these two photos of Luise and Noah, taken exactly one year apart. <3<3<3<3
Also, I didn’t fall asleep!
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