Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

• Spanish Omelet •

Talking the mystery out of fritattas . . . . .
Becoming an ever popular dish on brunch menus and in the home, fritattas are a great fast food that can be made as nutritious or as decadent as one wants.

But what are they exactly? I am reminded of that saying, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet".

Fritatta (Italian) = Tortilla (Spanish) = Omelet (English) = Omelette (French)

It is as simple as that really, but over a period of time the English took the name fritter to mean something slightly different. However, it can still be tracked back to the original 'fritatta' - foods bound in egg or a batter and fried. The French took the Spanish tortilla and refined it into what is now known as a Spanish omelet. Which to this day is one of the few omelets that is served flat (like the original tortilla) and not rolled like other omelets.

So if you want to serve this dish as part of an Italian themed menu called it fritatta, if you want it as a Spanish dish call it tortilla. If you want a more refined French luncheon, cut the vegetables delicately and call it omelette d'Espagne or Spanish omelet.

What they do all have in common is that they should have onion and potato in them, after that what else you include into them is up to:

• tomatoes
• sun-dried tomatoes
• olives (but remember to take the stones out first!)
• anchovies
• bean sprouts
• grated carrot
• mushrooms or cheese - there are so many varieties available in the supermarkets now, so step out of your comfort zone and try some different ones

This recipe is for the classic Spanish version; which is great, or even best, when left overnight, cut into wedges and served with crisp bacon, sliced choritzo sausage or serve traditionally with baked or grilled apple rings and thick slices of black pudding. But as always the choice is yours . . . serve it hot or cold, with anything you wish.

This recipe and this dish is not going to win any heart foundation awards, due to the eggs and the oil. The large amount of oil is required however to give the dish its richness. As it is virgin olive oil however there is no cholestrol and it will be absorbed by the foods and lend itself to the dish, it will not be oily. It may not be a weight watchers dish, but then it is not a dish you will be eating every day . . . and just a little of what you fancy so enriches one's life.

Spanish Omelet

Ingredients

virgin olive oil	1	cup
sliced onion	1	cup
sliced red capsicum / pimento	1/2	cup
cooked diced potatoes	1	cup
beaten eggs	1 - 1 1/2	cup
chopped coriander	1/4	cup

Method

1. Gently heat half the oil in a oven proof pan, add the onions and cook gently until they turn a nice golden brown; cooking onions slow like this, allows the natural sugars to caramelise and they become very tender and very sweet
2. Add the pimentos and cook until softened
3. Add half the remaining oil and allow to heat up
4. Add the potatoes, turn up the heat slightly and allow to heat through and brown, season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper
5. If the potatoes have absorbed all the oil, pour the remaining oil and warm through
6. Pour in three-quarters of the egg and with a flat, wooden spatula pull the egg from the sides into the centre as it cooks; this should naturally push the centre to the sides to cook
7. When three-quarters of the egg is cooked pour in the remaining egg if required and the chopped coriander, give it a few more turns/stirs and allow the base to cook until lightly set
8. Place in the oven (or under the grill) until all the egg is lightly set
9. Remove from the oven / grill, allow to cool slightly and invert onto a large plate
10. Serve immediately or place in the fridge and slice into wedges the next day (allow to come to room temperature to serve)

Chef's Tip:

The egg must be enough to bind everything together, it should not however
be too over powering

Eggs should never be overcooked. They are best cooked until only very lightly set and then allowed to finish cooking off the heat source - the heat retained in the pan will finish the cooking process. Overcooked eggs are hard for the body to digest and likely to cause flatulence, lightly cooked eggs however are easily digested and ideal for the very young, elderly and the sick alike.

Sliced garlic may be added when cooking the pimento.

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 17 February 2003