Tortilla de Betanzos

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale
• •Sharp knife or mandoline
• •Deep frying pan, about 24cm
• •Fine-mesh sieve and slotted spoon
• •Non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan, 20cm
• •Flat plate at least 24cm wide
• •Instant-read oil thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the potatoes

   Cut the peeled potatoes into irregular slices 2 to 3mm thick, breaking some pieces from the knife rather than making perfect coins. Pésalo, no lo adivines: use 500g after peeling. Pat the slices completely dry and season them with 5g of the salt.

   Uneven slices give the tortilla its soft, broken texture. Very thick pieces remain firm; paper-thin ones disappear into the egg.
2. 2

   Fry until tender

   Heat the olive oil in a deep 24cm frying pan to about 150°C. Add the potatoes carefully and keep them at a gentle, steady sizzle for 18 to 22 minutes, turning them without crushing them. They should yield completely when pressed and show only a few pale-gold edges. Crisp, brown potatoes belong elsewhere; Betanzos needs them soft enough to surrender to the egg.

3. 3

   Drain the potatoes

   Lift the potatoes into a sieve with a slotted spoon and drain for 3 minutes. Reserve the oil. The slices should remain warm and glossy, but there must be no pool of oil waiting to thin the eggs.

4. 4

   Fold into the eggs

   Crack the eggs into a wide bowl, add the remaining 3g salt, and beat for only 10 to 12 strokes. Break up every strand of clear white, but leave the yolk and white lightly streaked. Fold in the warm potatoes without mashing them and let the mixture stand for no more than 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Set the first side

   Put a clean 20cm non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 15ml of the reserved oil and heat until it moves freely and glistens. Pour in the mixture, shake the pan once to level it, and use a spatula to draw the edge inward. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds, until a narrow rim is set and pale gold while the top remains decidedly liquid.

6. 6

   Flip it quickly

   Cover the pan with a flat plate wider than the rim. Hold the plate firmly against the pan and invert in one committed movement. Slide the tortilla straight back into the pan and tuck in the edges. Cook the second side for 20 to 30 seconds. The tortilla should sway as one soft mass when the pan is shaken.

   If your first flip isn't neat, nadie nace sabiendo, nobody is born knowing. Tuck in the edge and carry on; the centre matters more than a perfect circle.
7. 7

   Cut without waiting

   Slide the tortilla onto its serving plate and rest it for only 1 minute. Cut a wedge at once. The outside should hold a thin golden skin while the deep-yellow centre flows slowly around tender pieces of potato. Serve immediately, before the remaining heat turns that loose centre firm.

Chef Tips

• •Kennebec potatoes are common in Galicia because they turn creamy without collapsing. Yukon Gold or another yellow all-purpose potato is the sensible substitute abroad; avoid floury baking potatoes, which break down and make the centre pasty.
• •The centre is deliberately undercooked, so use pasteurized shell eggs. Pasteurized whole liquid egg works at the same 400g weight if shell-pasteurized eggs aren't sold where you live, though it may set a shade more evenly.
• •Very fresh eggs are not the same as pasteurized eggs. Pregnant people, young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system should not be served runny egg made from unpasteurized eggs.
• •The 20cm pan is part of the measurement. A wider pan makes a thin tortilla that sets before you can flip it; a much smaller one leaves too much raw egg beneath the surface.
• •Strain the frying oil once cool and refrigerate it in a closed jar. It can be used again for potatoes, eggs, or a sofrito, the slow-cooked onion and tomato base used in other regional dishes.
• •This tortilla does not improve by waiting. Serve it at once, and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerated leftovers lose their flowing centre and should be reheated until fully set.
• •A young, dry Ribeiro white from Galicia cuts through the egg and olive oil without bullying them. Water and good bread are quite enough on a weeknight.

Advance Preparation

• •The potatoes may be peeled and sliced up to 2 hours ahead. Keep them submerged in cold water, then drain and dry them completely before they approach the hot oil.
• •Bring the eggs to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking so the warm potatoes do not meet refrigerator-cold egg.
• •Do not mix the potatoes with the eggs or cook the tortilla ahead. The flowing centre lasts minutes, not hours, so have the table ready before the first side reaches the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)