Put a Spanish spin on the everyday omelet

Potato cake with smoked cheese, paprika perfect for picnics

This week’s recipe might remind you of a Tortilla Española, the beloved savory egg, potato and onion cake. That’s because it almost is! If you’re not familiar, the dish is an inverted savory cake (like an upside-down cake), usually sliced into wedges and served as an appetizer or even a lighter main meal. Note that it has nothing to do with the Mexican tortilla.

Usually served at room temperature, this tortilla is perfect for eating any time of day, and it makes for easy traveling for that summer picnic in the park. Some also call it a Spanish Tortilla, Tortilla De Papas or Spanish Omelet, however I prefer calling it a tortilla, which basically translates to cake because it is the diminutive form of torta, literally meaning “small cake.” So, is this essentially a small potato and egg cake? Yes. How adorable, right?

Continuing with that adorable theme, apparently there is even a festival in Bilbao in the Basque Country in northern Spain, where competitors challenge each other to the best tortilla. Dozens of golden wheels of potato and egg are displayed on a very long table before being tested and judged.

I do not believe my recipe for Smoked Cheese, Egg and Potato Cake should be in the running because, well, first of all I don’t cook it very traditionally. I don’t cook this “cake” all on the stovetop like a true Spaniard and then awkwardly invert it. I avoid that and any egg or oil splatter (which, sorry, is bound to happen, even a little bit). I cook the bottom of the cake on the stove and finish cooking the top in the convenience of my oven; I have this hunch that ovens didn’t exist when the Spanish Omelet was invented.

I also add smoked cheese (not traditional in a tortilla) and spices (also not really traditional). Which leads me to call this a potato cake because I do my best to respect a tradition. The end result is not only rich and cheesy, but also flavorfully spiced with peppery smoked paprika. In some ways these practices make my tortilla a little like a frittata, which is known for having multiple ingredients and is also cooked in the oven. (Let’s talk more about it in the future.)

Christian Reynoso/Special to the Chronicle Similar to an upside-down cake, this Smoked Cheese, Egg and Potato Cake borrows from the tortillas (a small version of a torta, or cake) of Spain.