Have a crack at a new way
YOU never make friends when you suggest that traditional and much-loved ways of doing things should change. In my experience, that goes double for treasured cultural institutions like cooking.
But that doesn’t mean change isn’t for the better.
One example is the classic Spanish omelet. It’s a simple dish from Catalonia comprising potatoes, eggs, onions, olive oil and parsley.
Made in the archetypal fashion, you’d slow cook the potatoes and onions in a pool of olive oil until tender, then mix with beaten eggs and parsley, pour into a pan, then cook gently on both sides until set.
There’s two big problems with that. The dish is commonly excessively oily and many home cooks find it hard to control the browning of the egg mixture so the omelet can get a little scorched.
I like to add a heady kick of flavour in the form of garlic and thyme, but that’s not the biggest element. The real improvement comes from baking the potatoes first. It means you can use waxy potatoes (for a more tender mouth feel), and the omelet itself is both lighter and better for you.
You’ll still want to saute the onions (along with the garlic and thyme) and from there the method returns to tradition. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference to a recipe that is inexpensive and perfect for a midweek dinner or entertaining with friends.
SPANISH OMELET WITH GARLIC AND THYME
serves / 4
Ingredients
12 medium waxy potatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper
2 brown onions, finely sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced ½ bunch thyme, finely chopped
6 eggs
Salad leaves, bread and serrano ham, to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Peel the potatoes, then slice 3mm thick. Toss in half the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper, then arrange on a lined oven tray. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, saute the onions in the remaining olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss with the potatoes in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, then mix into the potatoes.
Set a 24cm non-stick frying pan over a low-moderate heat, then spoon in the potato mixture. Cook for 15 minutes, until almost set, then invert on to a plate. Slide back into the pan and cook on the reverse side for 5 minutes. Slice, then serve with salad leaves, bread and serrano ham.