Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Tortilla + Herbed Aioli

When a person even mentions a recipe or dish, I lock in on it and have to try it, too. Within seconds of meeting someone, I find that the conversation almost always turns to food. I love to ask questions and gain inspiration from passionate, everyday cooking.

This is what gave me the idea to make a Spanish tortilla. At a photo shoot recently, I started asking people what they were making for dinner. A student told me that she was making a tortilla. I'd had some delicious versions of this potato-and-egg dish in the past. So as I drove home in a terrible storm, all I could think about was what I would put in my own version of a Spanish tortilla.

My favorite new ingredient is smoked sun-dried tomatoes. I found some locally at Fresh Market for about $4.00 a pouch. They taste very bacon-y, sweet, and savory. I just knew they would be perfect here.

Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Tortilla

1 medium russet potato (peeled and then sliced into rounds 1/8-inch or thinner)

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup diced smoked sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup minced shallot

2 ounces manchego (shredded)

salt + pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup sliced garlic chives or green onions (to garnish)
2-3 tablespoons sriracha (to garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a 10-inch skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke just a little. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add potatoes (dry slices with a towel for a crispier potato) in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet. Turn off the heat on the skillet, cover, and set aside. The heat from the skillet will sear the outside of the potato, and the residual heat will cook them through. 


Mix the eggs, milk, sun-dried tomato, and minced bits of shallot and then pour this mixture over the potatoes. Top with salt, pepper, and cheese. Cover and place the skillet in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the center is set. After running a knife around the edge of the tortilla, turn tortilla over on to a serving plate so that the potato side faces up. Serve tortilla hot or at room temperature. Garnish each slice with a bit more cheese, garlic chives, herbed aioli, and sriracha.

Herberd Aioli:

1 1/2 cups parsley

1 clove of garlic

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup mayo

salt + pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth. You will have some left over to use on sandwiches, wraps, or other things you want to yummify.