{"id":26165,"date":"2026-03-24T11:39:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almazarasdelasubbetica.com\/tortilla-con-o-sin-cebolla\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T12:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:59:30","slug":"spanish-omelette-with-or-without-onion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almazarasdelasubbetica.com\/en\/spanish-omelette-with-or-without-onion\/","title":{"rendered":"With or Without Onion? The Real Secret to Tortilla Lies in the Oil"},"content":{"rendered":"

With or Without Onion? The Real Secret to Tortilla Lies in the Oil<\/h1>\n

\"Tortilla<\/p>\n

EVOOs made from olives of the Arbequina, Hojiblanca and even Picual varieties are the best for confiting the potatoes and setting the tortilla<\/b><\/em><\/h2>\n

Juicy or well-set potato tortilla? With or without onion? These are the two <\/span>questions that have historically hovered over the idea of the <\/span>perfect Spanish tortilla<\/b>. Most likely, there will never be a consensus. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is also no certainty about the origin of this quintessentially Spanish dish. <\/span>Some date its origin to 1817 and link its authorship to General Tom\u00e1s de Zumalac\u00e1rregui, the military man who devised it to feed his hungry army, suffering from scarce food supplies at the time. <\/span><\/p>\n

But setting tastes and historical references aside, what you absolutely need to make a potato tortilla worthy of a Michelin star is a good extra virgin olive oil, like those from <\/span>Almazaras de la Subb\u00e9tica<\/a>. <\/span>That said, choose a mild or medium-intensity, well-balanced EVOO so its flavor doesn\u2019t overpower the potato, which should be Monalisa, Kennebeck, or Agria varieties. <\/span><\/p>\n

And\u2026 a real chef\u2019s trick! Don\u2019t fry the potatoes\u2014confit them in extra virgin olive oil. Unlike traditional frying, confiting means cooking them in EVOO at a low temperature\u2014between 60\u00ba and 90\u00ba\u2014without reaching a fry and without the oil bubbling. The <\/span>result is a tender, silky potato that perfectly absorbs the EVOO\u2019s organoleptic nuances.<\/span><\/p>\n