Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Cuisine Basque, Spanish
Equipment
Large (23 cm/9 in) non-stick pan
Ingredients
400gsalt cod(14 oz)
125mlolive oil(4 fl oz)
3large white onionsfinely sliced
A handful of thymeleaves stripped
6free-range eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful of flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
Instructions
Soak the cod in cold water, skin side up, for 24 hours, changing the water a couple of times.
Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onions for a few minutes. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes until really soft. Remove the lid, add the thyme and cook for a further 20–25 minutes until really caramelised and sticky. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, keeping some of the oil, and cool.
Remove the skin from the cod and flake into large pieces.
Beat the eggs with plenty of black pepper and gently fold in the onion, cod and parsley.
In a large (23 cm/9 in) non-stick pan, heat 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved oil and pour in the egg mixture. Swirl the pan over a high heat until the mixture starts to set around the edges, then reduce the heat and cook for 4–5 minutes until it just starts to set, so that the bottom and sides are golden but it is still quite loose in the middle.
Cover the pan with a flat lid or board, turn the tortilla carefully onto it, then put the pan back on a low heat. Return the tortilla to the pan, cooked side up, and use a spatula to tuck the edges of the tortilla under to give its characteristic curved look. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn onto a board and serve. It should still be lovely and juicy when you cut into it.
Notes
Recipe extracted from Basque by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant, 2021.