Potato Omelete (Spanish)

Tortilla de Patatas or Potato Omelete, spelled omelette in France, is simple uncluttered food that is so easy to make once you get the heat and timing right. This is one of my favourite lunches or snacks and is sold in almost every Tapas bar in Spain, often cut into small squares to accompany drinks.

Serves 4 Cook 15-25min

• 3 Potatoes, thinly sliced (raw) or parboiled into thicker slices.
• 1 Onion, thinly sliced into half rings (optional)
• 4-6 Eggs, beaten
• crushed rock sea salt and cracked black pepper
• perhaps some fresh herbs for variation if you have them handy

There are three ways of making a traditional Spanish Omelette. All three require a good frying pan that will not stick and has a tight fitting lid.

1. Fry onions in olive oil then take the onions out of the pan and set aside. In the same pan add a little more olive oil and fry the sliced raw potatoes over a very low heat (10 minutes) until almost cooked. Remove from heat stir in the eggs and cooked onions, season and cook over a very low heat with a tight fitting lid for 10-15 mins until set and without letting the bottom burn.
2. Fry onions in olive oil add parboiled potatoes stir to coat in oil. Remove from heat, stir in the eggs making sure all the potato pieces are coated in egg pushing any protruding pieces of potato down under the egg, season and cook over a very low heat with a tight fitting lid for 10-15 mins until set.
3. Fry the peeled and roughly sliced potatoes, with a little onion if using, in lots of olive oil covered to stew in the oil and steam. When cooked removed from the heat and stir into a bowl of beaten eggs. Season and return the mixture to the pan that has been cleaned and oiled or seasoned with lard. Cook gently until the egg sets.

Serve as a light lunch with salad or as canapés cut into bite size squares.

Cooks TIP if you have trouble getting the egg to set without burning the bottom finish off under a grill or turn the tortilla using a plate.

Crème Caramel (light)

This a light version of the delicious classic French dessert. I’ve been experimenting to get this one with less sugar and no cream because it is nice to have a dessert that is not too heavy. It is very easy to make and is truly delicious.

Serves 4 Prep 10-15mins Cooking 20-25mins
Caramel 
*1 tbsp brown sugar
*1 tbsp (12.5ml) water
Custard
*3 medium eggs
*2 drops vanilla essence
*100g caster sugar (or vanilla sugar)
*375ml semi-skimmed milk

Heat oven to 150c and warm four 150ml ramekins or one larger 600ml dish.Heat the sugar and water syrup in heavy saucepan without stirring, until pale golden with the aroma of caramel. Divide between dishes and leave to cool. If you prefer more caramel double the quantity of syrup.To make the custard, break the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until frothy, stir in vanilla essence, gradually add the sugar, then the milk, whisking continuously. Pour the custard over the top of the caramel to almost fill the dishes, stand in a baking tray with 1″ of water and cook for 20-25mins. Leave to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, loosen the sides with a knife, put a small serving plate on top, turn over and shake lightly to tip the creme caramel onto the plate.


TIP Sugar caramelises at 170c if over cooked it will become black and bitter, so be carefull with it.

Courgette Frittata

This is a kind of omelette and a delicious way of cooking courgettes, particularly the yellow ones. It makes a quick and easy lunch and an ideal picnic food.
Serves 4-6 Prep 7min Cook 20min

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2-3 courgettes thinly sliced, yellow will be better
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, parsley or thyme
• 4 eggs
• crushed sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan

Heat oil in a large non stick frying pan. Add onion and cook gently 3-4 mins until soft, add the garlic and courgettes stir well and cook until courgettes are softened and have a little colour, about 10mins. Beat eggs and stir in herbs, season and pour into the frying pan, stir well and continue to cook on a moderate heat until the underside is set. Sprinkle the top with parmesan. Heat the grill and place the pan under the grill to cook for a few more minutes until the omelette is set and the cheese is golden.

Source Necessity is the mother of invention and courgette gluts have inspired some pretty inventive dishes. Our neighbours find it hilarious that we grow so many courgettes they only have 2 plants and still the Jersey cow ends up eating half of them. I have cut down the 10 or more plants I grow to a more manageable 4 and harvest young.
23/7/2006

Turkish Scrambled Eggs

This hearty breakfast dish is a speciality of Turkey called menemen. It is scrumptious stuff especially good on cold mornings with a day working outside ahead or for a quick lunch on a winters day. The measurements for this recipe are per person.
Prep 3 mins cook 7 mins

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small green pepper (the long Turkish type are good or Doux d’Espagne).
• 1 tomato, cored and chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley or 1 tsp Salted Parsley Preserve
• 1/2 tsp Turkish pepper paste (optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat the oil in a small non stick pan, chop the pepper into small chunks and fry in the olive oil until softened. Add the tomato, give it a good stir and wait until the tomato juice boils down. Break the egg into the pan and stir vigorously until all the egg is completely mixed with the peppers and tomato. Add the pepper flakes and paste, if using, and parsley keep stiring and cook for a minute longer and serve with toast or flat bread.
15/11/2006: