Hmm, ok...maybe you've never heard of this one, but it is certainly worth a try.  This is a Spanish Potato Omelet which I know you're gonna love.  It goes well with just about anything as it is from the class of spanish cuisine known as "tapas."  While the origin of the term varies, the word literally means "cover."  I like to think of it as meaning that it "covers" your appetite between lunch and dinner.  Tapas come in all shapes and sizes, from a full Paella (Seafood and rice stew - to put it quite simply) to queso de cabra (baked goat cheese served with a mild marinara on french bread) or even just dried meats like Chorizo - a spanish sausage.

Regardless of what you want to call them, a Tortilla Espanola makes a great breakfast, lunch or even an appetizer.  Now that we know a little bit about them, lets take a look at a basic recipe:

• 4 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 10 large eggs

OK, so as you can see, the ingredient list is fairly short.  For this recipe, it is all about technique to make it come out just right.

1. Start with a dutch oven (2 qt) and add the 4 cups of olive oil and get that heating over medium-low heat (about 4 on your oven dials).  If you have one, sit a candy / deep fry thermometer on the side of the pan with the bulb of the thermometer immersed, but not touching the bottom or side of your pan.
2. Peel and use a mandolin (refer to Food Network if you don't know what this is), use a slicing blade to get super-thin slices of potato.  After getting all the slices, cut in half and then cut in half the opposite direction.  When you are done, you should have hundreds of thin pizza-slice shaped potato slices.  Dry these and set aside.  Please Note: If you don't have a mandolin, doing the slicing by hand is ok...it will just take a lot longer.
3. Slice up an onion into thin slices.  Cut these into four pieces as well.
4. Check the temperature of your oil.  For this process, we are NOT frying...so 300-350 degrees is not what you want.  We preferably want to boil the potato and onion in a hot oil bath at about 220 - 250 degrees.  If your oil is too hot, keep in mind that the oil will drop by about 10 degrees or more as you add the cold onion and potato.  You may be confused about this process...it kind of defies most of the laws of cooking.  Boiling something in oil?  It sounds weird, but it is not about cooking the potatoes and onions as much as it is about infusing the onion and olive oil flavor into the potatoes, it is subtle...but it separates an authentic tortilla espanola from some of the quicker recipes out there.  As Emeril would say, "This is a food of love thing."  In this case, he would be right.  The boiling process is what takes the bland potatoes and makes them into the
5. Slowly place handfuls of potato into the pan in a single layer.  Add salt and pepper to the oil.  Then place a thin layer of onion with a little more pepper and salt.  Keep repeating until all of the potato and onion is in the pan and pat with a rubber spatula so that all is submerged in the oil.  Don't go heavy on the salt, as you will have salt between each of the 3-4 layers of potato and onion.
6. Check the temperature and make sure you keep the mixture in the 220-250 degree range and boil until the potatoes are still firm, but you can stick a fork through them.  The onions should be completely cooked.  This is a slow process, it could take up to 15 minutes, so go ahead and keep an eye on the boiling process, but go ahead and start preparing the eggs in the next step so that they are ready.
7. Add all ten eggs to a large bowl and whisk until fluffy.  Add a tiny bit more pepper and a pinch of salt again to this mixture.
8. Once your potato / onion mixture is done, grab another bowl and place a colander in it.  Carefully pour the onion, potato and oil mixture into the collander and shake to strain.
9. After removing most of the excess oil, slowly add small amounts of the potato mixture to the egg and stir.  A cup at a time would be preferable, stirring a few times between each cup of the potato.  Do NOT pour the potato mixture all in at once.  As your eggs are room temperature and your potato mixture is still at about 260 degrees, this will fry the egg.  Our purpose in slowly adding the mixture is to "temper" the egg without frying it.
10. Once all the potato is mixed, let the egg mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to set up while you heat a 8-9" skillet with a tablespoon of oil or so (not too much though...I'll explain later).  This time you will want the temperature about 5-7 or medium heat.
11. Once your skillet is heated, slowly spoon the omlett mixture into the skillet and allow to cook slowly for about 7-10 minutes.
12. Use a spatula to see if the sides of the omlett are starting to brown.  When they do...we are no approaching the hardest part of making this dish.  Since it is a full-sized omlett about 1 to 1.5" thick, you cannot flip it with a spatula...you will have to use a dish to invert the omlett out of the pan.
13. Start by removing the skillet from the burner and placing a full-sized plate over it.
14. Next, firmly hold the plate against the pan, with your palm in the center of it.
15. In one brief motion, flip carefully but quickly so that the pan is now on top of the plate.  The omlett will now be upside down on the plate.  This is the tricky part.  Make sure you do this quickly and if there is a lot of oil in your pan, drain it off first, as the oil could burn you if you do not flip quickly enough.
16. Place the skillet back on the stove and add a tiny bit more oil to the pan.
17. Using the spatula, gently slide the half-set omlett back into the pan, so the unset top of the omlett is now face-down in the pan.
18. Continue to cook for 5 minutes (roughly).
19. To finish and fully set the omlett, repeat the flip process at least two more times.  Each time gets easier...don't worry!
20. When the omlett is brown on both sides, place on a serving platter.
21. If you are having it for breakfast, serve warm.  If you are serving as an appetizer, cut into cubes and serve cold with a dry white wine.  I would probably serve with your favorite Pinot Grigio.  Avoid anything too fruity on the palate (like reislings) as it may overpower the subtle flavor of this traditional "Tapa".

The great part about this technique for making a full-sized omlett, is that you can make it with just about anything.  Try the potato one at least once though, as it is a remarkably simple, yet enjoyable dish.  If you are using a main ingredient that is less starchy though, make sure you do not boil in Olive Oil. This may sound a little bizarre at first glance, but I love to make mine sweet and spicy.

• 1 Shallot Minced
• 1 Medium Tart Apple (1/2 small cube, 1/2 minced or jullienne if you prefer)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of celery
• salt / pepper to taste
• 3-4 eggs
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
• thin slices of 2 sun-dried tomatoes (olive oil packed)
• Your favorite (sweeter) hot sauce (to taste)

1. Add the apple with celery and shallot to a 6-7" skillet over medium-low heat 3-4 with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add salt / pepper to taste.
2. TIP: You may be wondering what variety to use.  I used to work at an apple orchard, so I am a little biased to using traditional cooking varieties like Macoun, Cortland or Ida Red.  However I occasionally mix it up with a slightly sweeter variety like Crispins (or Mutsu as the japanese would call them).  As I live in Florida now, and my choice of "good" apples is pretty limited, I usually use granny smith.
3. Slowly sweat this mixture (cook slowly without browning anything) until the apples are cooked and the celery / shallot is translucent.  About half-way through the cooking process, add the sundried tomatoes and continue stiring the mixture occasionally for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Next take a 2 cup glass measuring cup or a small bowl and whisk the 3-4 eggs together with the cheese and an additional pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.
5. TIP: Why a two cup glass measuring cup?  Honestly, it is easy to pour and it is just the right size :)
6. Add hot sauce to the egg mixture (if your prefer).  I personally like Target's brand "Archer Farms".  They have some gourmet sauces like a Key Lime Habanero hot sauce which goes quite well with this dish.  If you don't like hot food though, feel free to leave that out...this dish is just as savory and delicious without it.
7. Add this mixture to the apple, and mix so the ingredients in the pan are fully coated.  Whisk another egg up if you need it.
8. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the bottom is brown and the omlett is set enough to flip.
9. Using the technique described above, invert the omlett onto a plate and then slide back into the pan.
10. Repeat flip twice to fully set and brown the omlett on both sides.
11. Serve warm with extra hot sauce for a spicy breakfast guaranteed to jump start your day.

One thing to remember as well though, is that it is almost impossible to make a bad omlett!  Experiment and have fun with it...you might just surprise yourself and make something really good :).