Cooking for one- a kind of tapas

This is a bastardisation of tapas, and of tortilla.

For one; tapas usually involves plates (note the plural). Meanwhile this dish uses just one.

It’s also a bastardisation of  a tortilla.  Tortilla normally appears as tall wedges of omelette,  buxom with slices of potato and other cheerful things.

This one is a little flat chested. It’s skinny for one reason- if I’m cooking just for me then I don’t want to be eating left over tortilla for days. But it also doesn’t use real potatoes.

Instead it uses potato crisps. Not too many to be gluttonously gross, just enough to give you a head start and save you finding a mandolin or sharpening your knife.

Maybe the crisps are the dregs of a tube of Pringles that’s been lurking in your cupboard. Or perhaps they’re a small pack that you got for free after buying a pasty sandwich and a juice from a UK supermarket.

I can’t take any credit for the idea. Using crisps instead of potato in a tortilla is a concept that comes from Ferran Adria. He’s a man who knows a few things about food.

So this is all you need; crisps, three eggs, a few cherry tomatoes, garlic and olive oil.

These few ingredients will mesh the flavours of my two favourite dishes at tapas; tortilla and garlic smeared tomato bread.

If you add some jamon crinkled over the top it jumps to another level. Include a few frozen peas and some green leaf and you might even feel earnest while eating it.

It only takes less than 10 minutes from go to whoa. It’s perfect for brunch or dinner. And if you’re cooking for more than one,  you just need to add three more eggs, a handful more crisps and learn to share.

This one’s a keeper in our house.

Recipe below. Or if you’ve got eight minutes spare in your day, here’s a daffy video of me making it.

Pea and potato tortilla with tomato aioli

Serves 1 

(nb, to increase the serving for two, or for a crowd as part of a larger tapas selection just add three extra eggs and a small handful more chips to the egg mixture. It will also take a couple more minutes to cook through )

Equipment
1 bowl. 1 plate. 1 spatula. 1 fork/whisk. 1 small non stick fry pan (preferably with a handle that can go under the grill). 1 stick blender.

 
Shopping/foraging
3 eggs
half a cup of frozen peas
2 slices of jamon
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1 small wedge of parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
1 handful of salad leaves
1 handful of potato chips/crisps
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
Salt and pepper to season

Here’s how we roll

1) Break two eggs and put them in the bottom of a bowl. Break the third egg and put the white in the bowl with the other eggs. Put the yolk in a mini blender or in a canister that works with your stick blender.

2) Break up the potato chips and put them in with the eggs.

3) Add the peas to the eggs and chips.

4) Scramble the eggs with a fork and make sure they’ve covered the eggs and the peas. Leave to sit for five minutes until the chips are gloopy and the peas have defrosted a little.

5) Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick fry pan and turn the heat up to medium.

6) Check if the oil is hot enough by tracing the other  half the garlic clove around the oil and in the pan with your finger tips. If the garlic sizzles, then the pan is hot enough. 

7) Pour the eggs, peas and chips into the pan. Once the edges of the tortilla have cooked through enough that you can lift them away from the edge with a spatula, turn down the heat to low.

8) Grate a handful of cheese over the top of the tortilla. If you have a frypan with a metal handle, place it under a hot grill in the oven for two minutes to brown the top. If not, continue to cook gently until the egg is no longer liquid in the centre.

9) Make the tomato aioli. Grate half of a garlic clove into the egg yolk in the sick blender. Blend together. Trickle in a tablespoon of olive oil. Blend vigorously. Trickle in another tablespoon. Blend vigorously until it’s all emulsified. Add three cherry tomatoes and blend all together.

10) Roughly chop the remaining tomatoes.

8) When the egg is cooked, but still slightly loose gently transfer to a plate. Top with the leaves, slices of jamon, tomato and spoon over the tomato aioli.

9) Season generously with salt and pepper. Eat on its own, or with a slice of toast.

Other chapters in ‘Cooking for one’


One pan seabass with beans, burnt butter and yogurt

Miso salmon with zucchini noodles

Moroccan mince with carrot