Few dishes are more useful than a good potato omelette; It serves as a main course at dinner, as a delicious appetizer or as a perfect tapa before lunch. Regardless of whether we make it with or without onion – although everything indicates that we prefer it with onion – the truth is that behind this simple recipe there are some tricks that we should not overlook. Many times we do not pay attention to aspects that can make the tortilla too dry or too liquid, and even put our health at risk.
When it comes to making a good potato omelette, it is not just about solving the eternal debate of whether to add onion or not. We want it to be spongy, but not liquid, golden but light. To achieve this, we must avoid making mistakes such as:
Not selecting the right ingredients well
Although it is not a dish that forces us to choose between many ingredients – potatoes, egg, oil and onion – it is true that, if we do not select them well, the result is far from what a perfect dish should be. Not everything goes when making a potato omelet; Having good raw materials brings us closer to a quality result.
Let’s start with one of the main protagonists: potatoes. Not all of them are the same nor are they suitable for any culinary preparation. Some are better suited for frying, while others are perfect for boiling. The key to making a potato omelette is to choose one that does not leave a lot of water when we fry them. The best varieties for tortillas they are Monalisa, Colomba, Ambra, Soprano, Belami, Noha or Lucinda.
But the errors are not just focused on potatoes. Choosing a good, mild olive oil is also an essential part, so that its flavor does not kill the taste of the tortilla.
Fry the potatoes instead of curdling them
Another key is to place the potatoes cut into thin slices or small squares into the very hot oil, then reduce the temperature to around 130ºC-150ºC and cook them more slowly. One of the most common mistakes is to fry the potatoes because what the tortilla asks us to do is to curdle them, not fry them. To do this, the oil should never cover the potatoes, so that they lose water and remain tender.
Putting the quantities wrong
Balance is the basis of a good potato omelet. The objective is that it is neither too pasty nor too clear. Therefore, the amount of potato and egg that we add must be adequate. Although there are many options and tastes, the important thing is to ensure the correct proportion. If we like the egg to be well cooked we can have one egg per potato. On the other hand, if we prefer a more liquid omelette, we should think about four eggs (five, if they are small) for three potatoes. When in doubt it is always better to add one more egg than one less.
Do not drain the potatoes
The potatoes, once cooked, must be drained to remove as much fat as possible. Then we can mix them with the well-beaten eggs and let this mixture rest for about ten minutes so that the potatoes are well soaked and have the desired consistency. One way to know that we are on the right track in terms of proportions is to check that the egg covers the potatoes and onions.
Cover it freshly made
Yes, we can let the tortilla rest for a few minutes before consuming it. What’s more, it is something recommended. But what we should not do at all is leave it on the heat unlit and cover it because the residual heat will continue to cook the tortilla. It is best to remove it from the pan and leave it on a plate uncovered, not even covering it with aluminum foil.
Errors that go beyond taste
Beyond these mistakes that can spoil a good and tasty potato omelette, there are the mistakes that we can make that put us in danger. We talk about the failures that favor the development of pathogenic microorganisms and many of them have to do with the development of Salmonella and salmonellosis, one of the most common food diseases.
Whether handling an egg in poor condition or not taking into account the minimum hygiene conditions, the risk is real. But we can minimize it by taking these precautions into account:
- Do not break the egg on the edge of the pan or in the same bowl where we are going to beat it. This means that, by breaking the shell, if the egg is contaminated we can put at risk everything that comes into contact with the bowl or that a piece of contaminated shell, although small, falls into the pan or bowl and ends up contaminating the rest. of food.
- Do not serve it on the same plate in which we have turned it. When you turn it over, traces of raw egg remain on the plate, which could lead to what we call cross contamination if, later, we use it to serve the already made omelet and we have not washed it before.
- Do not serve it raw or slightly curdled. We already explained here the risks to which we were exposed if we liked the omelette undercooked. The risk of salmonellosis in the event that the eggs are contaminated increases if, during cooking, the necessary temperature is not reached (about 70ºC in the center of the omelette) for the time necessary for the bacteria to be destroyed. This risk is reduced somewhat if we eat the tortilla immediately after cooking it since the bacteria have not had time to reproduce. But, if we like the omelet to be rare, we can also use a pasteurized egg.
Source: www.eldiario.es
