Feb 22 2023
Spain’s Egg Recipes are Eggsactly What You Need!
How do you take your eggs? We show you how they do in Spain with a look at some of the classics and more egg-centric recipes of Spanish cuisine.
Brunch and its associated egg-based dishes have gone from strength to strength in recent years. If you’re looking for some eggs-cellent new inspiration (sorry!), why not bring in some Spanish-style recipes? Here are a few classic dishes from Spain, plus some sweet treats.
Tortilla de patatas - Spain’s national dish, anyone? Origins date back to around the 19th century, when it is said that a Basque general whipped it up himself to quickly feed his troops. The modern version stays true to tradition, as potatoes are sliced and then sautéed before being cooked with beaten eggs in a round pan until mainly solid - but still a bit gooey inside.
Huevos a la riojana - it’s perhaps not a surprise that this hearty egg dish hails from the La Rioja countryside. A layer of sofrito (sautéed bell peppers, onions, tomato and garlic) is cooked with chopped chorizo and arranged over fried potatoes with fried eggs on top.
Huevos rotos - this dish first appeared on a menu in 1975 at Casa Lucio in Madrid. Lucio says that his grandmother invented it out of necessity. Anytime she dropped an egg, she would quickly rescue the broken egg and cook it over fried potatoes - an anti-food waste trailblazer then! Huevos rotos are served with the likes of morcilla black sausage or jamón serrano at Spanish Diner, NYC.
Tocino de cielo - the name of this egg-based dessert literally means ‘heavenly bacon’. Tocino (fatty bacon) may refer to the gummy texture, but the heavenly part definitely implies its origin, in 13th century monasteries of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. When egg whites were used to filter wines in the region, the egg yolk was in abundance, so it was cleverly devised by nuns into a divine delicacy. Made simply with egg yolks, sugar and water, it forms a small, intense treat that goes perfectly with amontillado sherry by the way!
Flan de huevo - Using both the egg whites and yolks, flan de huevo is more like, well, a flan. It’s a kind of custard dessert with a caramelized base, and it’s turned upside-down to release the topping. You can try this similar recipe.
Spanish cuisine is in love with eggs - so make sure you look up huevos on the menu at your nearest certified Restaurant From Spain. What other Spanish egg-based dishes can you find?..