Tortilla Española with Preserved Lemon-Espelette Aioli

Plus, two variations on this Spanish tapas classic.

Tortilla Española is one of those dishes that tastes so much more than the sum of its parts. This Spanish tapas staple is just eggs, potatoes, onion, and good extra virgin olive oil (yes, the latter is an important ingredient), but something alchemical happens as they come together in a skillet. Savory, satisfying, and the perfect partner for a glass of bubbles or sangria. Every time I make this for a dinner party, picnic, or potluck, it’s the thing people go back to slice after slice.

A tortilla is a beautiful start to a meal—paid subscribers, August’s second recipe (a.k.a. the dinner party companion to this one) is following very soon!—on its own or simply paired with a sauce. When it comes to sauces, the classic options are tomato-based brava sauce and/or silky, luscious aioli. Here, the latter is my sauce of choice, but amped up with preserved lemon and Piment d’Espelette (a fruity, mild-medium powdered chili powder from the French Basque Country). As a starter, I love building it out with fresh, crunchy vegetables, so it lands somewhere between light tapas and a French aioli platter.

If you want to make an effortless, full tapas spread out of it, serve tortilla española with other easy Spanish bites like blistered Padron peppers, olives, cheese, jamon serrano, a couple tins of good conservas, and some crusty bread.

This dinner party two-parter is for paid subscribers only (these are both August’s paid recipes, a day late—my apologies!).