INGREDIENTS

Evenly-sized large potatoes
Olive oil
Melted butter
Sea salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C.

Wash the potatoes, pat them dry and cut them thinly almost all the way through and arrange in a baking dish lined with baking paper.

Alternatively, cut each large potato in half, sliced them in the same way and stack them individually.

Drizzle olive oil followed by the melted butter evenly over the top of the potatoes.

Finish with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.

So, this is how it turned out when I made it: It wasn’t perfect, but I’ll keep tweaking until I get it exactly the way I want it.

Serves 8
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 1/4 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 kg russet potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium-sized onion, sliced in thin wedges lengthwise
Salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush the bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. I used my round Pyrex dish and it went to the table from the oven. With a sharp knife or using a mandolin, slice the potatoes very thinly crosswise.

This amount of potatoes fit just nicely into my Pyrex dish. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish then insert the onion wedges evenly throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using). Brush with the remaining butter mixture.

Roast in the oven for 1 1/4 hours. Remove, add thyme sprigs ( I didn’t have any so I sprinkled dried thyme – but it didn’t have the same effect!

Continue roasting until the potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

http://thebittenword.typepad.com/thebittenword/2010/01/crispy-potato-roast.html#more

Meet the other tortilla. Not the one made of corn or flour on a comal in Mexico, but the one that hails from Spain that’s made with a few simple ingredients—potatoes, onions, eggs and olive oil. While technically the word tortilla to some Latinos means omelette, to call a tortilla española an omelette would—as Anthony Bourdain might say—mean we’ve let the terrorists win. It is so much more.

For one, the tortilla española is less about the eggs than it is about the potatoes, which are thinly sliced and cooked slowly in flavorful olive oil. Second, while an omelette is generally breakfast territory in Spain the tortilla is served for lunch or dinner, as merienda or even a late-night, post-party snack. It’s also far more versatile than your standard egg dish: it can be served warm, at room temperature or even straight-from-the-fridge cold; you can add jamon or chorizo, garlic or cheese or herbs; and you can serve it along side a creamy aioli. Or not. You could do what I do: eat it in its simple form, which is as close to perfection as anything else.

While this makes for an easy yet hearty weeknight meal—and one that’s light on the wallet too—there are a few tricks to getting it right. First, use regular olive oil rather than extra virgin because it can get hotter without burning, which is key while you’re cooking the potatoes. When you’re slicing the potatoes, try using a mandoline and set it to a 1/8th inch thickness. If you don’t have one, slice the potatoes as thinly as you can making sure they’re consistent. The most important trick: flip the tortilla three or four times. It will help give it a perfect round shape.

INGREDIENTS

800 gms potatoes
300 gms onions
Eggs ???
1/2 cup olive oil

1 20cm non-stick pan
2 dinner plates

DIRECTIONS

In a 20cm non-stick sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium-high. Just before it reaches smoking point, add 1/2 the potato slices using a spatula to separate them into one layer. Add 1/2 the onion slices. Sprinkle with salt and a little white pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and onion to create two more layers. Cook slowly over medium heat lifting and turning until potatoes are soft but not brown, about 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the potato mixture from the sauté pan and into a bowl. Reserve the oil. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the 4 tablespoons of water until  they are pale yellow. Add the potato mixture to the eggs, pressing down on the potatoes so they are covered by the eggs. Let sit for 10 minutes, so the potatoes can absorb some of the egg.

Heat 1 tbsp of the reserved oil in the same sauté pan used for the potatoes until just before it smokes. Add the egg mixture to the pan, using a spatula or to spread evenly. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. During this time, use a rubber spatula to carefully separate eggs from the edges of the pan, and shake the pan frequently to make sure the tortilla isn’t sticking.

Once more than half of the eggs have set, get ready to flip the tortilla. First, carefully slide the tortilla from the pan into one of the rimless plates. Then cover with the second rimless plate, hold it firmly in place, and invert. Slide the tortilla back into the skillet, uncooked side down. Use the rubber spatula to tuck in the edges of the tortilla, giving it a nice clean shape. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes.

Flip the tortilla again, using the same method. Slide it back into the pan and cook for 3 more minutes. Flip two or three more times, allowing to cook 2 to 3 minutes in between, as this will help shape the tortilla. Once the center is firm to the touch, the tortilla is ready. (If it’s wobbly that means the eggs still need more time to set.)

Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with a pinch salt and allow to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. Cut into wedges or squares. Serves 6 to 8.

I did today and it turned out just fine, although we really should have waited till it cooled down before eating it!!!

INGREDIENTS

3 frozen fish fillet  (about 550 gms)

500 gms potatoes

200 gms fresh tomatoes

100 gms onions

5 garlic

1.5 tbsp olive oil

1 can Del Monte chopped tomato with garlic

1.5 tsp paprika powder

3 guindilla

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Peel the potatoes, cut into thin slices, wipe dry and fry in Tefal Actifry with 1/2 tsp of olive oil – about 40 minutes until brown.

Defrost the fish.

While potatoes are cooking, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wok and when hot add the garlic and onions and fry slowly on medium heat till fragrant. Crush the guindilla and add the paprika powder. Stir well and make sure it doesn’t burn.

When tomatoes are soft, add the can of chopped tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until some of the water dries off. Add salt to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Cut each fish in half, sprinkle some white pepper, rub well into fish and set aside.

Arrange cooked potato slices on a round casserole. Take 1/3 of the tomato sauce and spread over the potatoes. Arrange the fish fillets over the sauce and pour remaining sauce over the fish, covering it well.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot with bread, or couscous.