When Freddie and I went upstate last month, we invited the wonderful Jenny Rosenstrach and her husband Andy over for dinner…
Freddie made breaded shrimp and vegetable linguine, and Jenny brought the salad, and it was such a joy to be around her again!
Blurry photo, taken while laughing
As you may remember, Jenny wrote the Cup of Jo food column for seven years — with absolute bangers like five things to do with corn and tomatoes, a slice-and-bake cookie taste test, and the #1 thing she’d tell new parents about family dinner — and she, of course, has written bestselling cookbooks and runs the popular weekly newsletter, Dinner: A Love Story.
This morning, I called her to ask if we could publish a recipe of hers, for old times’ sake — and, always generous, she said of course. So, I chose this delicious Spanish tortilla — similar to a frittata, but with potatoes — that you can have for breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner. My stepfather used to make this all the time — including the very first time I met him — so it feels very homey to me, although he made his entirely on the stove. Also, if you’ve made these a lot, please weigh in with any thoughts or tips!
Tortilla Española
by Jenny Rosenstrach, inspired by the one she had at Boqueria
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 onion, quartered, thinly sliced
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 large eggs, beaten to blend
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion, and salt. Use a heatproof spatula to coat potatoes with oil. When oil begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, turning frequently, until potatoes are tender but not browned, 20-25 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes and onion to a large heatproof bowl. Add eggs and stir gently to combine; do not break up potatoes. Strain oil into a glass measuring cup; wipe out skillet.
Heat 3 tablespoons reserved oil from measuring cup in skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg-potato mixture and cook, stirring constantly but gently to keep potatoes intact, until eggs begin to set (eggs will look scrambled), about 2 minutes. Spread mixture in an even layer; reduce heat to medium-low. Preheat broiler to high.
Cook tortilla, shaking pan occasionally to prevent it from sticking, until eggs are nearly cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until top of tortilla is just cooked, about 2 minutes.
Remove from oven. Invert a large plate over skillet. Using oven mitts (skillet and potatoes will be very hot; use caution), hold plate firmly over skillet and flip, releasing tortilla onto plate. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving. Tortilla is delicious at room temperature or chilled, right out of the fridge, the next day.
Suggestion: Serve, if you’d like, with sliced peak-season tomatoes with really good olive oil and sea salt. A tomato salad in August is going to complement anything. As Julius Roberts says, “just let them do the talking.” Side note: Julius Roberts is so hot, the way he cooks is so hot, my husband and my DMs on Instagram are 90% dogs and 10% Julius Roberts.
What are you cooking these days? And if you miss Jenny as much as I do, you can sign up for her Dinner: A Love Story newsletter here. xoxo
P.S. More Jenny posts that we loved:
* the fish sandwich I make once a week
* chicken parm meatballs
* pasta with broccoli pesto
* the simple green salad on my dinner table nine times out of ten
* five rotisserie chicken dinners
* a potato salad trick
* lazy man’s ratatouille
* smashed pea toasts with ricotta
* a crisp for all seasons
* how to get your kids to talk at dinner
* Trader Joe’s knock-offs vs. original brands: which is better?
* vanilla ice cream taste test
* the restaurant surprise I’m still thinking about two decades later
* how to be a good dinner guest: seven rules
