- 5 Tbsp. California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, plus up to 1 additional tbsp.
- 1 ½ pounds baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup cooked English peas (about 1/2 pound unshelled peas)
- ½ cup peeled fava beans (about 1 pound unshelled fava beans)
Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a 12- to 14-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add potatoes, season highly with salt and pepper and sauté, tossing often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in a sieve set over a bowl. (If you have only a smaller nonstick skillet, fry the potatoes in two batches, using 2 tablespoons oil each time.)
Return skillet to moderate heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When hot, add leeks, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat with seasonings. Cover, reduce heat to moderately low and cook until leeks are tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, potatoes, leeks, peas and fava beans. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, then let stand for 10 minutes.
Measure oil drained from potatoes, if any. Add enough olive oil to make 1 tablespoon. Heat a 10-inch skillet over high heat. When hot, add oil. When oil is hot, add egg mixture, spreading it into an even layer. It will bubble vigorously around the edges. Immediately lower heat to moderately low and cook 10 minutes. The omelet will still be underdone on the surface. Invert a cookie sheet over the skillet. Grasping the skillet handle with one hand and holding the cookie sheet in place with the other, flip the skillet so the tortilla falls onto the cookie sheet. Immediately slide it back into the skillet, cooked side up. (Some moist bits of egg may stick to the cookie sheet; that’s okay.) Cook an additional 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Let stand at least 20 minutes before serving.
Chef's Note:Every tapas bar in Spain has a thick, round tortilla on the counter, waiting for customers to order a slice with a glass of sherry.
These open-faced omelets give the cook free reign to use whatever vegetables were best at the market or whatever bits of ham, sausage or greens might be on hand. It is a recipe worth mastering because it easily adapts to any season and to what the market provides.
In winter, you might replace the peas and fava beans with mushrooms; in summer, you can fashion a tortilla with zucchini and roasted red peppers.
I like my tortillas thick with sliced potatoes and vegetables, with just enough egg to bind the layers. Turned out onto a serving platter or cutting board, the golden round announces the sherry hour. Just don’t cut into it too soon; it needs to rest.
Recipe courtesy of Janet Fletcher, Fresh From the Farmers Market (Chronicle Books, 2008)