Spanish omelette

A Spanish omelette is a great breakfast or snack. It keeps well in the fridge and is very good out-on-the-boat food.

This recipe basically follows this one on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JceGMNG7rpU  Tortilla de Patatas by Omar Allibhoy

I use desiree potatoes, washed but not peeled, and I slice both the onion and potatoes using a V-slicer with the “thick slice” attachment, then cut the bigger slices and onion rings in half.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups olive oil
• Salt, pepper, ground cumin

Method

Heat oil in heavy-based frying pan.

When oil is hot, add onion.

Once onion begins to brown, add potatoes.

Once potatoes begin to brown at the edges remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion and potatoes to a bowl. Break eggs into the bowl, add seasoning and stir through the mixture. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Once you’ve let the oil cool, pour off and strain, and keeping for reuse.

Give the pan a wipe with a paper towel. Return enough oil to just cover the pan - not too much as we will be flipping this over and we don’t want to be burned by hot oil.

Once the pan is hot again, pour in the mixture and push evenly to the sides of the pan.

Cook on high for 1 minute, then on low for 2 minutes - I use a cast iron pan, so I actually take it right off the heat.

The way you flip it is to put a wide plate over the pan - the plate needs to extend at least a centimetre beyond the edge. If you don’t have a big enough plate, try a pizza tray. So, placing the plate face down over the pan, and pressing down, turn upside down and lift the pan away. There is your first cooked half. If should be a little dark in places, but mostly golden or brown.

Add a little more oil if necessary, raise heat again, then slide the uncooked side into the pan. Again, 1 minute on high, 2 minutes low.

Remove from pan using the same flip method.

Israeli eggs

Shakshuka is the Israeli variant of a common Mid-Eastern/North African dish, popular as a breakfast, but versatile enough for any meal.

It is basically - eggs poached over a spicy tomato salsa. Simple and tasty, but with something extra that lifts it above the ordinary.

If you’re looking for a main meal version try, as I did, adding a bed of couscous, as well as crumbling in feta and adding sliced mushrooms. Sliced chorizo is nice to add also, but this plays merry hell with its Kosherness! Finely chopped red and yellow capsicum can also be added to the onion and garlic at the beginning. All good!

Recipe - Shakshuka

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups tomato salsa
• 2 tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups couscous
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sprigs parsley or coriander to garnish

Method

• Chop garlic and onion and, in a heavy based frying pan, sauté in olive oil over medium heat
• Chop tomatoes
• Once the onion turns transparent and begins to brown, stir in cumin, cayenne and paprika
• Add chopped tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomato salsa and simmer for another 10. Add salt and pepper to taste
• Place couscous in a bowl. Boil the water, and pour over couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes
• Break eggs, evenly spaced, onto the simmering tomato mixture in the pan. Once the eggs are poached the way you like it (you might want to pot them under the griller to finish them off), they are ready to serve
• Serve on a bed of couscous, garnish with parsley or coriander