Spain has not quite abandoned its resentment for that road game loss with England in 1588.
That, at least, is my theory why Protestant vegetarians are often confronted in Spain with sneak meat attacks. Ham appears everywhere -- in vegetables, in potatoes, in salads. Trying to find a ham-free dish in Spain is almost as foolhardy as Diogenes hoping to put a successful end to his search in Congress.
There is always one safe choice: tortilla española. Almost everyone has tried it. As a snack. In a tapas bar. For breakfast. It is Spain's answer to the all-purpose quick food: a potato-egg concoction that proves that quiche can have machismo -- and still meet vegetarian needs.
But I cannot leave well-enough alone. So, I have managed to tart up this crustless tart. I offer my very hammy version of tortilla española.
1/4 cup high quality olive oil
That, at least, is my theory why Protestant vegetarians are often confronted in Spain with sneak meat attacks. Ham appears everywhere -- in vegetables, in potatoes, in salads. Trying to find a ham-free dish in Spain is almost as foolhardy as Diogenes hoping to put a successful end to his search in Congress.
There is always one safe choice: tortilla española. Almost everyone has tried it. As a snack. In a tapas bar. For breakfast. It is Spain's answer to the all-purpose quick food: a potato-egg concoction that proves that quiche can have machismo -- and still meet vegetarian needs.
But I cannot leave well-enough alone. So, I have managed to tart up this crustless tart. I offer my very hammy version of tortilla española.
1/4 cup high quality olive oil
1-1/2 pounds of new potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pound sliced ham, sliced in thin strips
1 red sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
dozen eggs, beaten
sea salt
freshly-ground pepper
1. Heat the oil in a very large cast iron skillet. It should be very hot. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Do not brown the potatoes. After 10 minutes, add the onion. Continue the same process for an additional 5 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
2. Add the peppers and ham to the skillet. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the vegetables and ham into the bowl with the eggs. Then return the mixture evenly to the skillet. Let the mixture cook for about 2 minutes to set the bottom of the mixture. Cook at medium for about 20 minutes -- until the mixture is almost set. Flip the tortilla over and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the mixture is set.
4. Flip on to a warm plate. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Cut the tortilla into wedges. Serve with a spicy salsa and warm tortillas.
My addition, of course, is the ham and the peppers -- with a tip of my sombrero to Mexico.
Purists will quail. But this is how we develop new dishes -- some good, some not so much.
After all, without a bit of experimenting quiche lorraine would never have evolved into the gastronomic treasure that we have today: canadian bacon and pineapple quiche.
Who says that Canadians and Americans do not know good food when we see it?
1/2 pound sliced ham, sliced in thin strips
1 red sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
dozen eggs, beaten
sea salt
freshly-ground pepper
1. Heat the oil in a very large cast iron skillet. It should be very hot. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Do not brown the potatoes. After 10 minutes, add the onion. Continue the same process for an additional 5 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
2. Add the peppers and ham to the skillet. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the vegetables and ham into the bowl with the eggs. Then return the mixture evenly to the skillet. Let the mixture cook for about 2 minutes to set the bottom of the mixture. Cook at medium for about 20 minutes -- until the mixture is almost set. Flip the tortilla over and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the mixture is set.
4. Flip on to a warm plate. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Cut the tortilla into wedges. Serve with a spicy salsa and warm tortillas.
My addition, of course, is the ham and the peppers -- with a tip of my sombrero to Mexico.
Purists will quail. But this is how we develop new dishes -- some good, some not so much.
After all, without a bit of experimenting quiche lorraine would never have evolved into the gastronomic treasure that we have today: canadian bacon and pineapple quiche.
Who says that Canadians and Americans do not know good food when we see it?
