Tortilla

My father had surgery on both feet last week, so he’s laid up and generous friends have been dropping off food to make life a bit easier. Our friends Alba and Javi, who relocated from Barcelona to Greenville a few years ago, dropped off this beautiful tortilla, a Spanish omelet of potato and onion and egg.

It’s the most ubiquitous of tapas, and as varied and argued over as a Southern biscuit – everyone has their own style or touch. Most can agree, the potatoes and onions are cooked in a ton of oil until they are soft and nearly caramelized, the egg should not be overcooked and fluffy (maybe even runny inside) but a touch crisp on the top, and the requisite flip during the cooking process will surely cause you grief at least once during your endeavors.

With bravas sauce, aioli, or alone with salt and pepper, I love it for breakfast or an any-time snack. After I tricked my mom into giving me a big hunk of it to take back to Atlanta (hey, I sprained my ankle pretty bad last week too, that counts) I reminded myself that I really need to put in the time in the kitchen until I can make a killer version of this. Fortuitously, the New York Times (via Francis Lam) posted a very respectable looking recipe online today, with some backstory.

As an aside, she would never ask me to do this, but Alba teaches cooking classes part-time in Greenville, SC and caters as well, and I highly recommend her food if you are in the Upstate. I’ve been eager for her to teach me her methods for cooking paella, because she does it right. I’m sure you can reach out to her via the Facebook link I posted above.

I also found this website for a Spaniard in Atlanta who seems to offer similar services, including paella cookouts for very large groups. I have no knowledge of their quality, but it seems an intriguing party option.