I grew up in rural suburbia an hour north of Seattle. Every year, on our acre of land, we raised two cows, two pigs (always named Roto and Rooter), and a hundred or so chickens. We also had a dozen egg-laying hens. That meant we ate a lot of eggs. Fried. Poached. Soft-boiled. Scrambled. But these were always — and only — for breakfast.
It was something of an adjustment, then, when I settled in Spain 20 years ago and found that eggs were frequently eaten for lunch or dinner or as a midmorning snack — but never for breakfast. And that they were prepared in far more interesting ways.
Catalan cooks frequently top a side dish of spinach with raisins and pine nuts. My mother-in-law likes to make her spinach tortillas with the same flavors, converting a quick dinner staple into something as delicious as it is surprising.
The wider the skillet you use, the thinner your tortilla will be.
Rosa's Spinach Egg Tortilla With Pine Nuts and Raisins
¼ cup seedless golden raisins
¼ cup pine nuts
8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3 large eggs
Salt
Soak the raisins in a small bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely.
Place the spinach in a bowl; wash/rinse in a couple of changes of water, then drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 8- to 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic; cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until it has wilted. Transfer to a bowl, discarding the garlic.
Beat the eggs thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Season them lightly with salt.
Pour off any moisture from the spinach. Add the spinach to the eggs, along with the reserved raisins and pine nuts.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet, over high heat. Pour in the egg mixture. Immediately reduce the heat to low, swirling the pan for a few seconds to keep the eggs from sticking. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the bottom is golden and the tortilla is set.
Firmly grasp the handle of the pan in one hand; protectively drape a dish towel across the forearm and wrist of the other (or wear an oven mitt). Place a plate over the pan that's large enough to cover it, then firmly press it to the pan so that nothing will spill out. Carefully and quickly invert the tortilla onto the plate, and then immediately slide the tortilla off the plate and back into the pan. Swirl the pan in a circular motion to settle the tortilla and keep it from sticking. Use a spatula to tuck any edges down. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or so, until firm yet still moist in the center.
Invert the tortilla onto a clean plate. Dab off any excess oil with a paper towel. Let it cool for a bit before cutting into fat wedges.
Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 490 calories, 16 g protein, 40 g fat, 22 g carbohydrate (12 g sugar), 280 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Koehler is the author of numerous books, including Spain: Recipes and Traditions (Chronicle Books, 2013) and Where the Wild Coffee Grows (Bloomsbury, 2017).
Food on 03/06/2019