Truffle-infused tortilla on threshold of Hell...

Forty-six degrees celsius said the digital temperature gauge perched high above Madrid's Puerta del Sol.  Jesus, and that 46C was measured in the shade!  Your humble narrator his lived in and visited some the hottest places on earth - from the steaming humidity of Equatorial West Africa or Kuala Lumpur to the arid furnace of the Namib Desert, which boasts forbidden sectors where scientists say there has been no rainfall for a hundred thousand years.  But this July day in Madrid a few years back was like standing on the threshold of Hell.  We took shelter down a shaded alleyway and found a tiny cantina where we sought solace in ice-cold cerveza.  A tortilla - served cold on request - proved a revelation, the egg and potatoes infused with black truffle oil.  

After years of trying, the recipe below is the closest representation of that Madrileno masterpiece.

You will need:

• Pre-boiled new potatoes, allowed to cool.  Quantity depends on numbers serving, or size of your frying pan.  For each person, allow four mid-sized new potatoes
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 4 shallots
• 4 large eggs (we used duck eggs)
• 1 teaspoon truffle oil

And, vamonos...

• Peel shallots and slice crosswise into thin layers. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in separate medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat and sauté shallots until slightly opaque, around 5 minutes
• Whisk eggs in large bowl, add truffle oil plus half teaspoon of salt and stir to combine. Add cooked potatoes and shallots to bowl and stir gently to combine
• Reheat oil in frying pan over medium heat and add potato and egg mixture to pan
• Cook for about 5 minutes until the bottom of the tortilla is nicely browned (check with flexible spatula) and remove from heat
• Take a plate sized larger than the frying pan, place on top of the pan, flip the frying pan over so that the tortilla is inverted onto the plate. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil back to the frying pan and reheat for 30 seconds over medium heat. Gently slide the tortilla back into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Once done, turn off heat and leave in pan for another 2 minutes

Slide onto serving plate, cut and enjoy!!!  Serve with fresh bread, Arugula Salad with Dijon vinaigrette. Also eats well with Jamón Iberico in - the  irrefutable king of Spanish cured meats - sliced Chorizo and Salchichón.  Or all of the above, it's your call...

For Arugula Salad:

• Arugula leaves, rinsed and dried.  If you can't find arugula, substitute with other peppery leaves such as radicchio, watercress or little gems
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Handful pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Half teaspoon salt to taste
• Quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced

Mix and dress.  Buen apetito...