Tortilla Espanola

The finals of the European Soccer Championships, which is right up there with the World Cup in terms of importance in the soccer world, took place this past weekend, so I paid tribute by making a dish inspired by the cuisines of the teams in the finals: Spain and Italy.  When you think of Spanish food, paella and gazpacho immediately come to mind, but the Tortilla Espanola is the true staple of everyday eating.  Somewhere between an omelet and a fritatta, the Spanish tortilla is nothing like the Mexican version that we all know so well.  Simple yet so versatile, all it takes is eggs, potatoes, onions and good olive oil.  The most important thing is slicing the potatoes and onions thinly and uniformly, so I would highly recommend using a mandoline.  Next, fry the veg in plenty of olive oil until soft (but not crispy) and then drain and combine with the beaten eggs and return to the pan.  Halfway through, flip the tortilla (by inverting the pan onto a dish) and finish off the other side.  You can eat it hot or cold, and the Spaniards often have the leftovers in a sandwich with some crusty bread the next day.  The game was a dud (4-0 Spain), but this dish was a winner.  Stay tuned for my tribute to Italia.