I came up with today’s recipe back in 2011, when I began working to combat food waste, and it remains one of my all-time favourite ways to use up leftover roast potatoes. You can also mix in other leftovers, such as roast vegetables and meat (roast bell peppers, ham and roast pork are especially good).
Roast potato tortilla
Leftovers are a blessing, and make future meals easier to cook. This Spanish-style tortilla makes a substantial and delicious meal from them; in fact, it’s so good, I often cook extra roast potatoes just so I have some to make it with. I like my tortilla runny in the middle, but if you prefer it more cooked through, give it about six minutes on each side, rather than just three or four. And take care not to spill hot oil on you when flipping the tortilla. If you’d rather not risk the flip, finish it off under the grill or in a hot oven; if you go down that route, however, leave the tortilla soft-set before its final blast, to ensure the best results and texture.
Serves 4-6
Light olive oil, for frying
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
500g leftover roast potatoes, chopped into cubes
6 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and black pepper
Light olive oil, for frying
Heat a good drop of oil in a frying pan, then saute the onions for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, fry for another two minutes, then take off the heat.
Put the potatoes in a bowl, stir in the cooked onion mix and leave to cool. Once cool, stir in the beaten eggs, season andleave to rest for five minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a good splash of oil in a small (16-18cm-diameter), deep frying pan. When the oil is very hot, pour in the egg mixture and swirl the pan from side to side to stop the egg sticking. Turn down the heat to very low and leave to cook for three or four minutes.
Place a plate on top of the pan and flip out the tortilla on to it, taking care of the hot oil. Return the pan to the heat, add another splash of oil and, when that’s hot, slide the tortilla uncooked side down back into the pan. Shake from side to side again, turn the heat down very low and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, tuck any rough edges underneath to make the tortilla neat and rounded. Cook for a further three or four minutes, then slide out on to a plate and eat warm (or leave to cool to room temperature and serve later). The cooked tortilla will keep for up to five days in the fridge.
Fiona Beckett’s drinks match
Under £10
Tesco Finest Fino £6.50 a half-bottle, 15%. It’s well worth keeping a bottle of chilled fino in the fridge for just such an eventuality as a roast potato tortilla and whatever other tapas you want to serve with it.
Over £10
Scala Dei El Tribut 2021 £16.50 Booths, £17.45 Vinum, 13.5%. A youthful priorat that’s brimming with fruit. Not cheap, but sometimes it’s good to make the wine the hero.
