The "San Viçens" Omelet (Tortilla San Viçens)

In the Sarria neighborhood of Barcelona there is a little Plaza called Plaça San Viçens where there used to be a really classic coffeshop named after the plaza, San Viçens. With its wicker chairs, marble coffee tables, and old Catalan tile, it was a very charming place that was popular with university students, bohemians, and the neighborhood crowd. The specialty tapa was a three layer omelet. Sadly, the coffeshop was demolished and a new building is in its place. The San Viçens might be gone but the memories of sitting with friends and devouring the three layer omelet with rustic bread is still very much alive. 

The three layer omelet was one omelet on top of the other. The first one was made with potato, the second layer was made with zucchini or spinach but I made it with portabella mushrooms, which I find more meaty, and the last layer was a shrimp omelet topped with a pink sauce.

Ingredients for the potato omelet:

5 eggs

4 medium potatoes

olive oil

salt

I add to mine:

1/2 onion

1/2 leek

1/2 green pepper

Peel and cut into small pieces: the potatoes, onions, leek, and pepper. Put the onions, leeks, and peppers into a pan with enough olive oil to cover the potatoes. When the onion starts changing color, add the potatoes and cook on medium to low heat until the potatoes are done. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add everything except for the oil. Add salt and stir well (you can be generous with the salt because the potatoes absorb it). In a non-stick pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and add the egg and potato mixture. Let it cook on one side. Then take a plate, put it on top of the pan, and turn it upside down, or 180˚. Return the omelet from the plate to the pan to cook the other side. When done, place it on a platter.

Ingredients for the portabella omelet:

2 portabella mushrooms, cut in cubes

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt

4 eggs, whisked well

In a pan with olive oil, sauté the mushrooms with the onion and garlic and then add salt. When the mushrooms are done, remove everything from the pan except the olive oil and add to the eggs. Repeat the same process as with the potato omelet.

Ingredients for the shrimp omelet:

18 to 24 medium size shrimp, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt

4 eggs, whisked very well

In a pan, sauté the  shrimp with the garlic in olive oil and add salt. Remove from the pan, add to the eggs, and repeat the same process as in the previous omelets.

For the pink sauce:

2 tablespoons mayonaise 
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon brandy

Mix all ingredients well. 

Stack the omelets on top of each other with the potato omelet on the bottom and the shrimp omelet on top. Add the pink sauce to decorate. 

"Inma" Omelet with Morels, fiddleheads and ramps (Tortilla "Inma" con colmenillas, brotes de helechos y puerros salvajes)

I want to dedicate this dish to my sister Inma, an omelet lover.  

In keeping with the theme of spring flavors, this time I am going to combine the "spring trinity" in an omelet.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz ramps, cross cut

5 to 6 morels, cleaned and cut in quarters

3/4 pound fiddleheads

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 eggs

salt

Clean the morels and sauté them with the  fiddleheads and ramps. Add salt and cook covered for about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Beat the eggs really well, add salt and keep beating. Add the mixture of morels, fiddleheads and ramps to the eggs, stir and pour in a nonstick pan. Once the omelet is done on one side, turn it with the help of a plate and let it cook on the other side. 

Scrambled Eggs with Ramps (Huevos revueltos con ajetes y brotes de puerros salvajes)

"Revuelto de ajos tiernos" (scrambled eggs with garlic ramps) or "tortilla de brotes de puerros salvajes" (ramp omelet) is a Spanish staple in any household or restaurant. In Spain it is served as an appetizer or as an entree dish for lunch or dinner. It always has been very popular.

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs per person

12 onion ramps, finely chopped  

salt and pepper

Cut the eggs with an egg cutter. If you don't have one, cut them carefully with another type of cutter or scissors. Empty the eggs and boil the shells so you can fill them with the scrambled eggs. 

Whisk the eggs very well. Put the oil and ramps in a sauté pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then add the eggs and lower the heat. Whisk continuously to get a creamy eggs because the more you whisk the creamier the eggs become. When done to your likeness, remove from the pan and fill the egg shells. 

Egg over a Bed of Manchego and Carrots

This dish can be done with a poached or mollet egg (see mollet eggs entry.) We just need to shave some manchego cheese and carrots then place the egg on top and add more cheese and carrots. It is a very simple and quick to make.

Mollet Eggs with tomato sauce and Bacon (Huevos mollet con salsa de tomate y bacon)

"Mollet" comes from the French word for "soft." It is a soft-boiled egg, boiled for 5 minutes and then peeled. Like a poached egg, the white is firm and the yolk runny and creamy. The difficulty for the egg not to break is in the  peeling of the shell. 

The best technique I found is to boil the egg for 5 minutes - use a timer. Then remove carefully from the hot water and put in ice water to stop the cooking process. Then in a bowl put 2 parts warm water and 6 parts white vinegar. The effect of the vinegar is to decalcify the shell, creating a very soft membrane that is easy to peel. The point is to make an egg that looks like a hard boiled egg, but when cut the yolk runs, and when peeled it doesn't break. This type of egg, when it doesn't break can be used as garnish, finished in different ways, and even deep fried. It can be served cold or warm. If you want to serve it warm, place in a bowl of warm water. 

French Omelet Sandwich (Sandwich de tortilla francesa)

"Tortilla francesa" is an omelet with no fixings. The secret to this sandwich is  the rubbed tomato bread (pan con tomate) which is traditional in Catalonia. A simple and quick lunch.

Ingredients:


1/4 cup olive oil just to wet the pan
1 or 2 eggs whisked
salt
2 slices rustic bread or baguette
1 very ripe tomato
salt
extra virgin olive oil


Rub one side of each bread slice with a very ripe tomato. Then sprinkle the bread with salt and extra virgin olive oil. Whisk 2 eggs and pour them in a medium sauté pan. Start folding the omelet and cook to the desired doneness. Place the omelet on one slice of bread and top it with the other slice.

Omelet rolls (Rollitos de tortilla)

Why not make something fun for a Sunday brunch? Let's make some omelets with our favorite veggies and cheese and serve them with potatoes  that are boiled and then broiled and a spicy tomato sauce. 

Ingredients:

2 whisked eggs per person
1/2 broccoli head
1 portabella mushroom cut in julienne
2 garlic gloves minced
cream cheese
1 medium yellow yukon potato per person
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
tomato sauce or your favorite sauce


Boil or steam the broccoli until it is done. In another pan with a 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, sauté the broccoli with garlic. Remove it from the pan, cut in small pieces and reserve. In the same pan sauté the mushroom, then remove it from the pan and reserve. In a non stick pan pour the eggs, making sure they cover the whole pan. First cook one side and, when it tuns brown, then turn it to the other side. Extend the omelet on a plate and add the broccoli, the mushroom, and cream cheese. Roll it so it is tightly closed. Cut and discard the ends and then continue cutting the roll in 1 inch pieces.


While working on the omelet, put the potatoes to boil. When tender, remove, peel, and cut in wedges. Preheat the oven to the highest number and coat the potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and Spanish smoked paprika. Then brown them in the oven on all sides by turning the potatoes every few minutes.


In a pan place the tomato sauce, pepper flakes and a pinch of sugar. Let it cook on low heat until it reduces.


Serve the dish on individual plates.

Egg on Toast (Tostada con huevo estrellado)

If you like potatoes, green peppers, serrano ham, and  eggs, then this is your Sunday breakfast - or in Spain it will be supper. There was a café/bar in Bilbao that made a sandwich with an egg in the middle of the bread. I like the idea so now I use it sometimes for my breakfast.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 small yukon potatoes cut in cubes
1/4 green pepper cut in squares
1/2 jalapeño (if you like a hot flavor)
1/2 thick slice of serrano ham cut in cubes
1 slice rustic bread
1 egg
salt and pepper

My husband and daughter like to add sriracha sauce. It goes really well with eggs.

In a pan, place about 1/3 cup olive oil, the potatoes, peppers and jalapeño. Start with low heat and when they are cooked raise to high heat to give some color but do not burn the mixture. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel.

Make a circle in the middle of the bread with a wine glass. Put the bread one side down in the pan to toast it first. Then turn the bread to toast the other side, add the egg, cover with a lid and check for doneness.

Serve the potatoes on a plate, top with the egg in bread, and add the serrano ham.  

Shepherd's Style Crumbs (Migas al Pastor)

"Migas al pastor" is one of those rustic dishes, like garlic soup, that started as a hearty breakfast for shepherds and migrants. It consists of bread from previous days, bacon, chorizo and garlic. Today it has evolved into a fashionable first course in many restaurants. It is typical of Aragon, Teruel,  Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Andalucia - areas of Spain where the herd of merino sheep was moved from one region to another depending on the season. The shepherds would carry with them chorizo, bacon, ham and bread - products already preserved. These migas are the Aragon style what my grandmother used to make. I don't know if she learned it because her family used to have a merino sheep herd and shepherds or because she moved to Zaragoza, Aragon, after the death of her father and met my grandfather, a medical student at the time. I am sure this recipe came in very handy during the Spanish Civil War because of the lack of food, when every crumb was saved in a napkin to use the next day to mix with milk.

Ingredients:

1 Loaf Rustic Bread 
1 Glass of Cold Water
1 Tablespoon Spanish Smoked Paprika
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano or Thyme
1 Pinch of Salt

2 Garlic Cloves 
1/2 Green Pepper cut in small pieces
1/2 Cup Bacon or Spanish Serrano Ham cut in small pieces or cubes
1/2 Cup Chorizo cut in small pieces or cubes
1 Egg per person (optional)
Grapes

First put the water in a glass, add the paprika, oregano or thyme and a pinch of salt. Mix all the ingredients with a spoon and set aside. Remove the bread crust and cut the remaining bread in small pieces. Put it in a bowl and add the glass of water with the mix of spices. Keep it over night covered with a damp cloth. The following morning, cut the bacon or ham, chorizo and pepper in small cubes. First, cook the garlic and when it starts getting golden brown remove it from the pan. Then cook the peppers and remove them as well. Next cook the ham a little and remove it, then do the same with the chorizo. Set aside all these ingredients and in the same pan with all those flavors add the bread and cook it on a low heat, stirring continuously until it starts separating. Before removing it from the pan raise the heat to high and brown it lightly. Mix all ingredients in a bowl before serving. Serve with a fried egg (optional) and decorate with grapes.

Garlic Soup with Wrinkled Eggs (Sopa de ajo con huevos arrugados)

This dish has been one of the most humble and rustic soups since it beginnings but it is amazingly delicious and a proof that you don't need a lot of ingredients to make something great. Garlic soup came from the lack of or the inability to get meats or vegetables but people needed to eat something of substance in the morning before going to work in their trades, in the fields or taking care of their animals long hours until lunch. They had in the pantry garlic, dry bread from the previous days, water and maybe some eggs. Today it is the typical soup after the processions during Easter time. For the rest of us it is one heart warming soup.

The soup can be served with or without the egg.

Ingredients:

10 Garlic Cloves
1 Piece of Dry Bread Per Person
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika from "La Vera Region" (Denomination of Origin)
4 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Egg per person (cook in the pot, hard boil or wrinkled)

In an earthenware pot put the olive oil. Add the garlic and the bread and cook until golden brown. Then add the smoked paprika, stirring for a couple of minutes. Do not burn it. Add the chicken stock and let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. To make a wrinkled egg, get a cup and put a plastic wrap loosely on top of the cup.  Add a little oil and the egg bringing all the corners of the plastic wrap together and twist. Then tie with a cooking string and add the plastic to boiling water, cooking the egg until the desired doneness. Then add the egg to the soup.



Sometimes I have blend everything, but I like this way.

Eggs with Chorizo (Huevos con Chorizo)

This is a dish that you will have, in Spain, for supper or for breakfast during those weekends of outdoor activities, hiking, skiing, climbing, etc. The chorizo from Spain it comes in a casing and doesn't break when cook and uses hot or sweet paprika as the main spice. This dish can be done with either one. Hope this eggs with chorizo prepares you for that busy weekend with outdoor activities.

Ingredients:


Eggs
Hot chorizo slices
Bread


In a pan we put the chorizo slices add the egg and cover with a lid, check for doneness. Serve with fries, there is not bigger pleasure for small kids and... no so small than to deep the fries in the egg yolk.

Scrambled Eggs with Green Garlic and Mushrooms

This is mostly a spring dish, but if you can find green garlic or spring garlic, year round. They are the best scrambled eggs ever!!!! You can serve them for breakfast, as an appetizer, or just lunch.

Ingredients:


5 Green Garlic cut white part and green
1/2 Dozen Mushrooms cut in slices or use a small can of mushrooms
2 Eggs
Olive Oil
Salt


In a pan you add the olive oil and the green garlic until tender the remove from the pan. Add the mushrooms until done and add the garlic and the eggs and keep stirring everything to avoid burning on one side. Serve on a plate with chives.

Catalan Spinach with Poached Egg

Catalan Spinach has pine nuts and raisins but in this recipe I used aged Manchego cheese (you can use parmesan) and add grated black olives instead of raisins.

Ingredients:


1 Tomato Slice per person
1 Bag of fresh Spinach
1 Cup Aged Manchego Cheese or Parmesan
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/4 Cup Cream
1 Poached Egg per person
Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper


Put the slice of tomato in the broiler until it gets lightly brown but still has its consistency (it shouldn't fall apart).


Put the spinach in a pan with 1/4 cup of water (this vegetable has already a high content of water). When the spinach is cooked, add the cheese, the cream, the nuts and 4 or 5 grated olives, salt and fresh ground pepper. 


While cooking the spinach, put water in another pan and when it starts boiling add the egg. When the egg starts rising to the surface it is done.


On a plate, put first the tomato, then the spinach and finally the poached egg. Place some cream around the plate and add grated olives.

Green salad with Poached Egg

This is a great brunch dish to complement other dishes or a light lunch.

Ingredients:

Salad Greens
1 egg per individual salad

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon Vinegar of your choice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Sugar or Brown Sugar
1 Pinch of Salt

Whisk everything together to make an emulsion (everything looks like one when mixed.)

To poach an egg: Put the water to boil, in the meantime crack and egg and put it in a bowl. Before the water breaks into a boil, add the egg. When the water starts rising, take the egg out of the water with a small strainer.

Spanish Omelet (Tortilla de Patatas)

We could say that this is the national dish of Spain. It's the best known with the paella and sangria. This is a staple that you will find in all "Tapas Bars." It's very versatile and essay to make.

Ingredients for basic Tortilla:

6 Eggs

5 potatoes

Olive oil

Salt

I add to mine:

1/2 Onion

1/2 Leek

1/2 Green Pepper

The National dish of Spain

Peel and cut in small pieces the potatoes, onions, leek and peppers. Put in a pan with enough olive oil to cover the potatoes. First, we add the onions, leeks and peppers when the onion starts changing color, add the potatoes, and cook medium to low heat until the potatoes are done.

Wisk the eggs and add the potatoes, not the oil, and salt, you can be generous with the salt because potatoes absorb it. In a non- stick pan add about a table spoon of olive oil, and add to the mix. We let it cook from one side, then take a plate put it on top of the pan and turn it 360˚. Now we can cook the other side. When done serve it with roasted red peppers, on a slide of "pan amb tomaquet", with a green salad, etc.

Add "Pan amb Tomaquet" and arugula salad, yum!

The great Spanish chef, Ferran Adriá, created a recipe in case you are in a hurry. he substituted the cooking of the potatoes, for kettle chips.

Egg-Filled Tomatoes (Tomates Rellenos de Huevo)

There are some products that are very versatile like tomatoes, potatoes, rice...and eggs. This is a fun and a different way to combine eggs with tomatoes. We can serve them for breakfast, lunch or supper.


Ingredients:


Ripe tomatoes
Eggs
Olive oil
Salt


Potatoes
Arugula or any type of greens.
Green Onion.

Who said that eggs can't be elegant and delicious?

Take ripe tomatoes, cut the tops off and then empty the seeds and pulp out with a grapefruit spoon and put them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil on the insides. Crack the eggs and fill the tomatoes one at a time.


Preheat the oven at 300º F. Put the baking sheet in with the tomatoes on it for about 15 minutes. In the meantime cut thin potato slices, cut them in thin strips to make straw potatoes. Deep fry them, when brown put them on paper to take all the extra oil off and set aside.


When the egg-filled tomatoes are done put them on individual plates, add the straw potatoes, and add an arugula salad with a vinaigrette and a green onion. (For any vegetable to be wrinkled, have it in ice water for 15 to 20 minutes, it will wrinkle more the longer you have it in the ice.)


*** If you just make the tomatoes you can fill them with your favorite scramble eggs or a cream cheese filling. (We will add these recipes soon!!!!)