Rustic Spanish Tortilla with Smoked Sausage and Quick Garlic Allioli
Years and years ago, my dear friend Amanda (who majored in Spanish, taught Spanish, and has been to Spain multiple times) introduced me to tapas, which means “little plates.” Tapas are a type of Spanish cuisine comprised mainly of appetizers which, when served together, become a meal unto themselves. Today, there are bars in Spain that serve only tapas, and tapas restaurants can be found in almost every major city in the U.S. The American representation of tapas as a cuisine has evolved in some restaurants, where the menu may not represent the traditional Spanish tapas but instead have more international flair, with a clear Asian or African influence.
Personally, I prefer the traditional tapas menu, which includes things like marinated olives, queso de cabra (goat cheese baked in a spicy tomato sauce and served with crostini), cold tortilla española (an egg-and-potato cake usually served with a garlicky allioli), empanadas (small turnovers of seasoned meat and vegetables, similar to a samosa), albondigas (spicy meatballs), and my favorite: patatas bravas (fried diced potatoes served with a spicy tomato sauce).
When I saw that Aida Mollenkamp featured a recipe for a country-style Spanish tortilla with chorizo in Keys to the Kitchen, I had to give it a try. I ran into some difficulty right away trying to find the traditional smoked Spanish chorizo (a spicy sausage). Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo are very different – Mexican chorizo is uncooked. You need a smoked (pre-cooked) sausage in this. I ended up buying a smoked andouille sausage, which was delicious and very close to Spanish chorizo in flavor and texture, but you could really get away with using whatever smoked sausage you can find. I also decisively replaced the roasted red pepper with fresh red bell pepper, as I didn’t have a jar of roasted red peppers in the pantry but I did have a red bell pepper in the crisper that was crying out to be used. I cooked the bell pepper right along with the potatoes and onion, and it was delicious.
Finally, I cheated with the cooking method. The total amount of ingredients, when put together in my cast iron skillet, made for a very thick tortilla. Normally, you would cook the tortilla until the edges are well set, then invert it onto a plate (tricky!), slide it carefully back into the pan (even more tricky!), and cook the other side. Honestly, I didn’t feel like wrestling a heavy cast iron skillet and a plate (if it had been a tarte tatin, I would have gladly wrangled the skillet), so I fired up the oven instead. Once the edges were set, I put the tortilla in the oven for about 10 minutes, finishing it off like a frittata. In my opinion, this decision awarded me with good results. The tortilla was cooked through, and the top browned nicely. It also made the last several minutes of cooking hands-free, which enabled me to quickly toss a salad and set the table.
One tip: I sliced the potatoes on the mandoline E got me for Christmas, which was fabulous because I was able to get them really thin. This was the first time I used the mandoline, and for an inexpensive model, I think it works fantastically. I’ll be using it a lot more in the future.
Normally, you would serve tortilla in thin wedges, chilled, with allioli (the Spanish sister to French aioli, a garlicky mayonnaise) on the side. Mollenkamp’s recipe didn’t include an allioli at all, so I stirred up an impromptu version using plain organic mayonnaise, pressed garlic, and lemon juice. It was really necessary in my mind, the garlic adding a punch of intensity and the creaminess juxtaposing with the texture of the potatoes nicely.
Here’s my version.
Rustic Spanish Tortilla with Smoked Sausage and Garlic Allioli
Adapted from Keys to the Kitchen by Aida Mollenkamp
4-6 ounces smoked sausage, preferably spicy, like chorizo or andouille
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold or Dutch baby potatoes, scrubbed clean and thinly sliced
1 small or medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen baby peas
8 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher or fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Quarter the sausage lengthwise and then slice each quarter into triangle-shaped pieces. Slice the potatoes, and chop the onion and bell pepper. Wash the peas.
In a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat (don’t let it get smoking hot!). Add the potato slices and cook, flipping gently with a spatula to ensure they all cook evenly, until translucent and just barely tender, 5-7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or a colander placed over a bowl to drain.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and sausage to the skillet. Cook, stirring continually, until the onion are pepper are tender and the sausage is beginning to crisp. Stir in the peas and allow them to warm.
While the vegetables and sausage are cooking, whisk the eggs together with the salt and paprika in a large bowl.
When the vegetables are cooked, drain off any excess oil. Reduce the heat to low, add the potatoes back to the skillet, and toss everything together. Pour the egg mixture over top, shaking the pan gently and stirring a little if needed to evenly incorporate the egg.
Set the oven at 350°.
Continue to cook the tortilla over low heat on the stove top until the edges of the tortilla are set, 15 -20 minutes. The center should still appear liquid.
Place the skillet in the oven, and cook another 15-20 minutes, until the center of the tortilla is set and the top is beginning to brown.
While the tortilla is finishing in the oven, make the allioli: whisk together the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
When the tortilla is done, remove from the oven. Cool slightly to warm, or chill completely to serve cold.
Cut into wedges and serve with the allioli.
Serves 8.
Here’s the printable recipe. Enjoy!
