Tortilla Paisana

Tortilla paisana belongs to the country kitchens of Castile, though households across inland Spain have long made their own. It is the generous cousin of tortilla de patatas: potato, onion, peppers, peas, and a little chorizo held in egg. Those vegetables and the cured pork make it paisana, country-style, rather than a plain potato tortilla.

The method that decides it is simple: every filling must be fully tender and well drained before it meets the egg. Raw pepper releases water as the tortilla sets, and crisp potato fights the egg instead of becoming part of it. I cook the potato and onion gently, soften the peppers until sweet, and let the peas lose their last bit of moisture. Then the egg has something tender to bind.

Use a 24cm pan and a plate wider than its rim. Set the first side slowly, flip it in one committed movement, and finish the second side just until the centre is moist but no longer liquid. Pésalo, no lo adivines, weigh it, don't guess. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

If chorizo de cocinar, semi-cured cooking chorizo, is difficult to find, use jamón serrano and fold it in without frying. You lose the red pimentón-stained fat and gain a cleaner, saltier filling, so add another teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. No hace falta haber pisado España. The note in my Margin is shorter still: cook the filling before you ask the egg to hold it.