The list of tricky items to master in the kitchen is long. In my experience, the villain is stuff sticking to the pan. A soufflé, I guess, is the clichéd tough nut, but who makes a soufflé anymore, and anyhow, its bark is worse than its bite. Recently, though, I attempted a potato torta, the Spanish tapas staple egg and potato cake, and it’s a true pain.
So the method is, cook the diced potatoes in a lot of oil, whisk in the eggs, cook, cover with a large plate, invert, cook on side two and slide onto a platter, nicely browned on both sides and ready to be sliced in wedges. Not easy.
The eggs have to bind with the potatoes, forming, well, a cake, which then has to brown en masse and release from the pan, ready to flip. I had a binding error, which was the first and primary sign that I should have just settled for scrambled eggs and potatoes. Little stray potatoes escaped their home, littering the edges of the pan. Then, suspecting the whole thing was sticking, I slid my rubber spatula under one edge, immediately cracking the cake. Like newly raked pile of leaves hit by a gust of wind, half of the egg-coated potatoes scattered. Needless to say, the inverted plate trick was less than successful.
The end result was a platter of potatoes and eggs, which tasted fine, but not what you’d call a culinary success. Part of the problem was the recipe: I think more eggs would have been helpful. I also should have used a non-stick pan, but I consider cooking with a non-stick pan a form of concession. I own one, which sits there in the pan stack, unused but calling my name, especially after a wearing battle with a potato cake. The non-stick pan actually was invented to resolve my specific issue; to resist would be like drying my stuff on a clothesline. But I’ll get this right in a standard pan; just another kitchen challenge.
(NOTE: if your efforts don’t work out, eat the messy parts and refrigerate whatever cake-like results you obtained. When ready to serve, slice the now-firm cake into tapas-sized portions. Also, the pan width and depth is most likely enormously important. They’re pretty casual about this in the recipe, but I can tell you that a standard sauté pan won’t work. You need something deeper for the mass to stay together. When I figure it out I’ll let you know. As for the apples. You’re looking for an ultra smooth, silky applesauce. The vitamin c helps it stay green.)
Potato Tortilla (adapted from New Tapas, by Fiona Dunlop)
For 8 tapas
½ cup olive oil
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, diced
4 eggs, beaten
Green Apple Puree (recipe below)
salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan (see note) over a low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be tender, but not brown.
- In a bowl, mix the potatoes and eggs, and season. Pour back into the pan and cook over low heat for about 4 minutes. When the tortilla is firm but not dry, cover the pan with a plate of equal size and invert the tortilla onto the plate.
- Carefully slide the tortilla back into the pan and cook for another 4 minutes to brown the other side.
- Turn onto a serving plate and let cool at least 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Green Apple Puree
Makes about 2 cups
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chunked
juice half lemon
¼ cup water
two tablespoons sugar
one teaspoon vitamin C powder (see note)
1. Add all the ingredients except the vitamin C to a small pot and simmer until the apples are very soft. Blend to a very smooth puree with the vitamin C.
