A Coruña - Tyred of Spanish Omlette?

What’s the difference between a rubber tyre and a Spanish omlette (tortilla)?

Some might say not much. Until recently, I would have disagreed.

The typical tortilla found in bars all over Spain was once a tapa that I would have looked forward to on every trip alongside a small glass of local beer (una caña) or perhaps a strong coffee with a dash of milk (un cortado). But not anymore. I’ve now discovered A Coruña in Galicia and there’s no going back to the Dunlop tortilla.


It all started in December 2006 with a visit to a perfectly innocent looking bar near to Plaza Pontevedra in the heart of town. It’s called Bar L’Arguie (on Avda Rubine) and is run by Natuska and Julian (a husband and wife team) along with Natuska's brother Angelo . It's clear that they have a passion for great service. They also have a passion for local art which is displayed around the bar and is available to buy if your luggage will allow. We’d been out for a meal and had just popped in this bar for a drink before heading back to our hotel.



There they were. Perched on top of the tapas display case in all their glory. These tortillas were like nothing we’d seen before and will probably never see again (apart from in AC of course). Having already eaten earlier that evening we didn’t really NEED anything else but this was different. If nothing else we could justify it as research.

The two types of tortilla on offer were ‘normal’ (a contradiction in terms) and ‘chorizo’ (Spanish spicy sausage). We had a bit of each to share with a chunk of bread on the side. These tortilla literally oozed quality and rather than being cooked until they resembled a Bridgestone they were removed from the pan with the centre not fully set and slipped onto the plate where they sat proudly waiting to be snapped up by the locals. They didn’t sit on the plate for long.

We made our satisfaction known to Natuska who seemed keen that we learn how to make our own tortilla when we returned to the UK. So, it was off to the kitchen to watch and learn. A few pounds of potatoes and a dozen eggs later the tortilla was in full swing. As a keen cook myself, I had long been cooking tortillas from the comfort of my own kitchen and was always proud of my achievements in creating an authentic rubber tyre. But now things had moved up a gear. I realised quickly that I didn’t have the tools for the job and worse still, I’d been doing it all wrong for years. Forget about warming the oil in the pan, adding some sliced potatoes and frying them until they’re brown, adding the whisked eggs and moving the whole mixture around a bit until the bottom’s cooked before chucking it under the grill to finish off the top. They haven’t been doing it like that in AC since Pontious was a Pilot.



Start by deep frying the sliced potatoes until just cooked. Then, whisk up your dozen eggs and add plenty of salt to season. Drop the potatoes into the egg mixture and leave to soak in whilst you get the oil heat up in the tortilla pan. You need a plate that fits just inside the tortilla pan (plastic is best or you can push the boat out and get a tortilla turner which has a handle on it – you can buy them in the UK from http://www.saborear.co.uk/tortilla). Pour the egg mixture into the pan and before it has time to realise what’s happening get your turner on top of the pan and with a deft bit of handiwork tip the tortilla onto the turner and then slide it back in the pan all in about two seconds. Make sure you carry the pan over to a clear area of work surface to ensure that you don’t get tortilla seeping out onto the hob. It’s an easy mistake to make for a novice so don’t beat (pun intended) yourself up about it. Repeat this exercise three of four times before transferring to a waiting serving plate.

Try to avoid the temptation of standing back to admire your culinary skills as there is almost certainly a crowd forming by now and they’ll all be keen to tuck in.