tortilla(s)
They are easy to cook, right?
We’ll see.
The first thing to remember is that you need the right size pan. This is more important than you think. Too big, and the tortilla will dry out; too small, and it won’t cook well.
As a basic guide, you need a 6-inch skillet for a two-egg omelet and a 10-inch skillet for a four- to six-egg omelette. That is, 6 inches. and 10 inches respectively. Which, handily enough, is about the size of the pans you should have in your kitchen anyway.
The second most important thing is not to beat the eggs.
I’ll repeat it for all those chefs who think they can cook tortillas: do NOT beat the eggs.
Instead, ditch your old habits and scramble the yolks into the whites with the blade of a knife. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat your empty pan over moderate heat, add a good dollop of butter, turn up the heat and turn to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
When the butter is foamy, pour some into the egg mixture, give it a stir, and immediately pour the eggs into the pan.
Shake the pan to distribute the mixture evenly. Now using a fork or a thin spatula, remove the cooked egg from the edge of the pan and let the uncooked liquid run into the space created.
When the tortilla is almost cooked through, but the surface is still soft and runny, flip one edge of the tortilla toward the center of the pan so it folds. Then slide the unfolded edge onto a hot plate, rolling the folded edge over the top as you do so.
An omelet cooked this way requires no filling, except perhaps some chopped fresh herbs which are added to the egg mixture about 15 minutes before cooking.
What’s that? Oh yeah, okay; if necessary, you can use olive oil instead of butter.