A Basque tortilla for cider season
Tortilla de bacalao is sidra season's version of tortilla española
Hola people, I hope everyone is having a good week—we have been so busy over here, with lots of amazing surprises just around the corner. I love to keep things interesting for you and always want you to have new ideas, new places to explore, and new dishes to try!
Today’s dish is maybe new for many of you, unless you’ve spent a lot of time on the north coast of Spain. Of course we all know the famous tortilla española, one of Spain’s most famous tapas, with eggs, potatoes, and sometimes onions (remember the debate between the concebollistas and the sincebollistas?). Tortilla de bacalao is a different version of the tortilla española, and you can usually find it this time of year at cider houses from Basque country to Asturias.
In Spain, a lot of these tortillas de bacalao will have salt cod, which is exactly how it sounds: salted, dried cod. This method of preserving cod has been used for hundreds of years in both Spain and Portugal, and is still used today! This recipe, however, features fresh cod, which cooks slowly in olive oil to form an amazing cod confit. The onions and peppers sweeten and caramelize, and it’s all wrapped up in a warm blanket of fresh, creamy eggs. When you cook this tortilla, you might want to use a nonstick pan—and you can make it more of a folded-over “omelet” or a full-pan “tortilla española” style…you’ll find it both ways in Spain.
In Basque Country, tortilla de bacalao is served at the beginning of a traditional ciderhouse meal during the season of sidra…but you could serve this as a tapa, or as a hearty dinner (or brunch?)—better if you serve it with some Asturian or Basque sidra!
Tortilla de bacalao
Serves 4-6