Food & Wine | Tortilla de Patatas with a Guatemalan Twist

One of my favourite places in the world to be is in the kitchen. There is something quite magical when I look at my ingredients and become inspired to create. Recently I was approached by the successful UK based blog, www.yummyfoodblog.co.uk, to participate in a cooking competition via our various outlets. The task was this: create a recipe for a Mediterranean inspired dish that best represents me.

Immediately my mind went to Spain. Not only have I have fallen in love with the shores of Barcelona, but the food is what makes me smile on a regular basis. My cooking style at home, as experimental as it may be, is all about keeping it simple. I love comfort food and finding a way to make classic recipes my own.

I believe in fresh produce and clean flavours and I was excited to take on the challenge. So, what did I decide to cook?

Tortilla de Patatas is a classic Spanish comfort food. Also known as potato omelette, a frittata or even a latke of sorts. But with Julio in my life for good now (See my Instagram for behind the scenes of my proposal!), I had to add a Guatemalan twist since all things Spanish now remind me of him. Without further ado, I present my submission:

Tortilla de Patatas with a Tomato, Garlic & Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

6 Medium Size Eggs

4 Large Potatoes

1 Medium Size Onion

3 Slices of Thickly Cut Smoked Bacon

2 Tsp Garlic Salt

2 Tsp Onion Salt

1 Tsp Sea Salt

2 Cloves of Garlic

2 Large Tomatoes

1 Papaya

8 Tbsp of Olive Olive

Now, lets’s get cooking with some of my best Zwilling J.A. Henckels kitchen supplies.

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. In a medium sized frying pan, add Olive Oil and heat on medium high

3. While oil is heating, slice potatoes into 1/4 inch medallions. When the oil has begun to lightly smoke, add potato slices in an even layer and allow to turn lightly golden. Flip every 2 minutes to not overcook and remove from oil to allow to cool. Replace with slices until all are golden brown and set aside.

4. As your potatoes are frying, slice bacon into cubes and add to a separate frying pan. Brown heavily until the bacon is crisp and set onto paper towels to cool.

5. Chop Onion finely and add to frying pan that you have now removed the bacon from. Sautee over medium heat until onions are caramel in colour and add fresh ground pepper to taste.

6. In a mixing bowl, crack eggs and mix with Garlic Salt, Onion Salt and whisk until properly mixed and the mixture is frothy.

7. Once your onions have browned, used medium frying pan and layer golden brown potatoes into pan, trying to cover all empty space. Add onions to pan and slowly pour egg mixture over to cover the potatoes and onions. Heat over medium heat until eggs become opaque and sprinkle bacon crisps over the top of the mixture. Allow to cook for 5-6 minutes/

8. Carefully move frying pan into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

9. While your Tortilla de Patatas is baking, finely chop garlic, tomato and papaya. In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining Olive Olive and mix. Set into serving dishes and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

10. Once the Tortilla de Patatas has finished baking, carefully remove from oven. Using a spatula, slip it from the frying pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Cut into slices and season with Sea Salt to taste. Remove salad from fridge and serve with a beautiful bottle of Rioja. I promise you will note be dissapointed!