This famous Spanish-style flat omelette is equally delicious served hot or cold, so it makes a useful packed lunch with an F2 Salad. Potatoes, when cooked and then eaten cold, become a source of retrograded starch which is particularly valuable for stimulating good bacterial action. This recipe includes cubes of potato and courgette and is spiced up with a little chilli, but you could add other vegetables and chopped fresh herbs to ring the changes. You can buy the dried crushed chillies in a jar in the supermarket or you could add one deseeded and finely chopped fresh chilli.
1. Scrub the potatoes, then cut them into small bite-sized cubes. Add the potatoes to a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and cook gently for 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile, tri m the ends from the courgette, cut it into four strips lengthways, then put the strips together and cut across the width to make small cubes. Trim and chop the spring onions.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tbsp cold water, add the chopped onions and dried chillies, if liked, and season with pepper.
4. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan about 25cm/10 inches in diameter. Add the potatoes and courgettes and cook over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, turning and stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are light golden. Preheat the grill to high.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the egg has set on the base. Now place the pan under the grill and cook for a further 2 minutes to set the top.
6. Slide the tortilla on to a plate or board and cut into wedges. Serve hot or cold.
Variation:
• To make a green- pea-and-chive tortilla, cook 150g/50z of frozen peas in lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes then drain thoroughly. Stir the peas into the beaten eggs, with 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives, 1 tbsp water, and pepper to season. Pour the mixture into the frying pan and cook as from step 5 above.
• To make an asparagus and tomato tortilla, steam 200g/7oz trimmed and chopped asparagus for 5 minutes or until just tender. Stir the asparagus into the beaten eggs with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1tbsp water, and pepper to season. Pour the mixture into the frying pan, scatter 2 chopped tomatoes over the top then cook as from step 5.
SERVES 2
• 200g/7oz new potatoes
• 1 medium courgette
• 3-4 spring onions
• 4 medium eggs
• ½ tsp dried crushed chillies (optional)
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
