Spanish Tortilla with Basil Aiolia
Ingredients
1 Basil Aioli recipe (see below)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided (as needed)
1 to 1 1/4 lbs (3 to 4 medium-sized) red skin or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed or peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced no thicker than 1/4 inch
1.5 to 2 medium onions (cut in half and sliced thinly)
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh minced herbs (like basil, parsley, thyme) or spanish smoked paprika (if nothing fresh)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 lb frozen (1 bunch unfrozen) shredded swiss chard or spinach, microwaved and drained
Optional potatoes:
You can replace some of the potatoes with sweet potatoe to add a slightely sweetened taste.
Optional toppings
snipped chives or chopped scallion
Kalamata olives, 1 jar
Basil Aioli recipe
2 egg yolks
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt
Spanish tortillas are basically baked omelets.
Serves 6
Steps
Prepare Aioli; refrigerate until needed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil in a 9- or 10-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet with heatproof handle over high heat. Fry potatoes about 10 minutes, turning several times after bottoms are crunchy. Salt and pepper potatoes during this process.
Add onion and bell pepper, reducing heat slightely. Cook 10 minutes more, stirring often, until translucent and tender, but not crispy and brown.
Add garlic; stir another minute.
Whisk together eggs, cheese, and chard; stir into potato mixture. Put cooked mixture into a large bowl; season well with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Wipe out skillet then heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When very hot, pour in potato mixture. Cook 1 to 2 minutes while running a heatproof spatula around the edges to allow egg mixture to run underneath.
Put pan into the oven; cooking 5 minutes or until slightely puffed and set. Test center with a skewer for doneness (Tortilla can be run under the broiler a minute or two, if desired.) Center should not jiggle when pan is shaken. If center remains jiggly, you can set oven to broil for 5 minutes.
Remove pan, place plate on top, and flip over. Leaving tortilla on plate, clean pan of any sticking pieces and then heat with oil. Once pan is hot, slide tortilla back into pan with uncooked side up.
Place back into oven and cook for 5 minutes. Top with cheese if desired and broil for 5 minutes.
After cooling 5 minutes, remove from pan. Cool and cut into 2" squares. Refrigerate.
Serve with dollop of Aioli.
Optional: Top with sliced kalamata olives, red pepper, chives.
Basil Aioli Steps
Puree egg yolks, garlic, basil and vinegar in a food processor until smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, no biggie, just finely chop the basil and garlic and whisk them together with the egg yolks and vinegar in a mixing bowl.) Once the puree is somewhat smooth, slowly add the olive and canola oils. Be careful not to add the oil too fast otherwise your mayo will break. Season with salt and taste for acidity, adding more vinegar or oil if needed. If the aioli does break, add a little warm water or more vinegar to a clean bowl and slowly whisk in the broken mixture until smooth.
Note:
Burnt tortilla option: At end,melt cheese on top (where the burnt section is cut away) under broiler.