Mexican potato omelet recipe
In France and many other countries, omelets tend to be simple, elegant dishes. A sprinkling of fresh herbs and perhaps a bit of Boursin cheese are all that is necessary to make an omelet exceptional. In Spain, the Spanish omelet or tortilla española is king, an extremely popular omelet made with potatoes (and occasionally onion) that is very different than a traditional French omelet but no less elegant. In America, omelets are something else entirely. Americans saw somebody fold eggs over cheese and lost their collective minds. Before you could say “omelette du fromage,” somebody had already stuffed it with hash browns, cheese, sausage, pepper and onions and covered it with sausage gravy. Done, done and done.
Don’t get me wrong, a big, honking diner-special omelet is one of my very favorite things — I’m generally in favor of ridiculous breakfast food — but only every once in awhile. There’s got to be something between the sensible sedan that is a responsible breakfast of fruit and oatmeal and the life-threatening, fire-shooting monster truck of eggs, meat and gravy that is the country omelet, right? So, next Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! when your morning becomes a Monster Jam don’t get crushed by your behemoth of a breakfast. Try this smart but hearty substitution instead — the Mexican potato omelet.
A hybrid of the classic French and Spanish omelets, this Mexican potato omelet is both and neither of those with some frittata thrown in for good measure. Quick and easy to make, especially if you’re using leftover potatoes, you can have a gratifying meal in as little as 15 minutes or so. For a breakfast as filling and fortifying as this, you can’t beat that. The Mexican potato omelet is also easily modified without affecting the recipe too much. Add mix-ins like chiles if you like it spicy or chorizo if you want a meatier bite. (Update: Expect a chorizo and green chile version soon — that sounded really good).
* Or “omelette”, if you’re French or fancy or both.
Quick unnecessary aside: I used to think that the spelling “omelet” was yet another example of America’s seemingly relentless bastardization of the English language. You know, the land where you can get a “donut” at the “drive-thru” anytime, day or “nite”. But I was wrong. “Omelet” and its multitude of other spellings actually predate the existence of America itself — Americans have just settled on that spelling for awhile. In fact, America has only settled on most of the words I thought we were bastardizing. “Donut”,”thru” and “nite” are not the product of decades of slick marketing or the advent of texting, their spellings have existed for centuries in multiple forms. “Through” for example, has at least fifty verified variations, one of which is “thru” and has been in use since the 1800s. So, while there may be some marketing behind the acceptance of these alternate spellings, it turns out English is just really complex language with an even more complicated history (or as Reddit describes it “three languages in a trench coat”).
Image: ForkingSpoon
Mexican potato omelet recipe
A riff on the Spanish omelet or tortilla española, this vegetarian Mexican potato omelet makes a gratifying breakfast that's quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the egg and cheese mixture
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks are completely broken up and incorporated. Stir in half of the mixed cheese, tomatoes and cilantro. Set aside.
Parboil the potatoes
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cover the cubed potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes for 5-6 minutes, remove them from the heat and drain in a colander for 2-3 additional minutes. This step is optional — you can certainly cook the raw potatoes in a skillet — but parboiling the potatoes guarantees even cooking and an overall better omelet.
Cook the potatoes and onions
In a cast iron skillet (or other broiler-proof pan) over medium-low heat, cook the diced potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes turn golden brown and tender. Add in the onions and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the onions are almost tender and the garlic becomes fragrant.
Preheat the broiler on your oven to high, making sure the top rack is at its highest setting (about 4 inches form the the top of the oven).
Finish the omelet
Add the remaining oil to the skillet, and pour the egg and cheese mixture over the potatoes, gently mixing and spreading the egg with a spatula. Cook the potato omelet for 8 to 10 minutes until the center is almost set, lifting the edges of the eggs occasionally to let the uncooked egg flow underneath. Top with the remaining cheese and broil in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the the omelet is completely set and the cheese is golden brown. Garnish with sour cream.
Notes
For the best results use a waxy potato like Yukon Golds or red-skinned potatoes — avoid Russet potatoes.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the egg and cheese mixture
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks are completely broken up and incorporated. Stir in half of the mixed cheese, tomatoes and cilantro. Set aside.
Parboil the potatoes
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cover the cubed potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes for 5-6 minutes, remove them from the heat and drain in a colander for 2-3 additional minutes. This step is optional — you can certainly cook the raw potatoes in a skillet — but parboiling the potatoes guarantees even cooking and an overall better omelet.
Cook the potatoes and onions
In a cast iron skillet (or other broiler-proof pan) over medium-low heat, cook the diced potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes turn golden brown and tender. Add in the onions and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the onions are almost tender and the garlic becomes fragrant.
Preheat the broiler on your oven to high, making sure the top rack is at its highest setting (about 4 inches form the the top of the oven).
Finish the omelet
Add the remaining oil to the skillet, and pour the egg and cheese mixture over the potatoes, gently mixing and spreading the egg with a spatula. Cook the potato omelet for 8 to 10 minutes until the center is almost set, lifting the edges of the eggs occasionally to let the uncooked egg flow underneath. Top with the remaining cheese and broil in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the the omelet is completely set and the cheese is golden brown. Garnish with sour cream.
DISCLOSURE Hey there! Just so you know, this post might contain links to Amazon or other trusted affiliates where we make a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We’ve also hand-picked some products for this recipe we thought our smart (and attractive) readers might enjoy : ) Learn more about our affiliate linking policy.
