Tuesday 9 is
International Tortilla
Day, a day with which we celebrate one of the great symbols of our culinary culture.
Of
uncertain origin
(there are theories for all tastes, that if it arose in Badajoz, that if it was in Navarra), rarely has such a humble and simple dish been such a success.
The key?
A rich potato, good beaten eggs to give it juiciness, olive oil and salt.
So far the recipe according to the most
purists
... because there are those who add onion to the
master formula
, you know, the famous
chives.
In any case, we have great restaurants to enjoy and enjoy with a whole tortilla but, as in addition to the country of the tortilla, we are the one from
tapas
, here are the key directions to grab some of the
best pinchos
in Madrid.
The Ardosa.
We start the route in La Ardosa, a century-old tavern in the Malasaña neighborhood that, at the end of the 70s of the 20th century, was transformed into the brewery we know today.
Located in Colón, 13, among its tapas and rations, it is essential to order the tortilla skewer, which they prepare every day with potatoes, oil, onion, eggs and salt.
A very juicy bite,
slightly curdled on the inside
and golden brown on the outside (2.99 euros).
Paco House.
From Malasaña to Argüelles, to Bar Casa Paco (Altamirano, 38).
There is no doubt who reigns in this dining room founded in 1954, where on the craziest days they peel up to
60 kilos of potatoes
: the tortilla.
With the pandemic they have reduced their offer by half and now they dispatch about 15 different versions (of minced chorizo, chistorra, leek ...) and in four sizes (large, medium, small and skewer).
Our favorite?
Well, the
hit
of the house: the Spanish classic, which they make with sour potato to taste (with or without onion to the delight of the purists of the recipe) and it is "juicy, not undercooked", they point out from this place.
All tortilla skewers cost 2.60 euros.
Dani House.
Casa Dani -small restaurant in the Mercado de la Paz, in the Salamanca district (Ayala, 28) - is a mandatory stop on any self-respecting tortilla pinchos route and not only because in 2019 they won the II Spanish Tortilla Championship. Potato.
And it is that they
generate addiction
.
They are made with sour La Mancha potato and without onion or with it (magnificently poached) and little curdled.
The result?
A very tasty, honeyed skewer with perfectly integrated ingredients (3 euros).
PIncho de Colósimo.
The Cadiz brothers Mané and Ricardo Romero, from Colósimo (José Ortega y Gasset, 67), are the authors of one of the most acclaimed tortillas in the capital.
The secret?
The potato and onion are poached together, slowly, for
an hour in the pan
and with the oil at room temperature.
Little curdled and very juicy, they present the skewer on a slice of bread from the Panic bakery (3.50 euros).
The D.Origin bar with its different tortillas
Recently, D.Origen -a three in one: gourmet market, cafeteria and restaurant- has opened its doors (Gaztambide, 62) and is already finding a place in the hearts - better still, in the stomachs - of the people of Madrid.
Especially for fans of the potato omelette, since it is one of the specialties of the house of Gon Hierro, Mario Scheffer and Luis Muñoz de Luna.
They offer
eight varieties
, from the traditional Spanish with or without onion to stuffed (with grilled ear and brava sauce ...) or casserole (onion and truffle).
The price of the skewer: 2.30 euros for normal ones and 3 euros for fillings.
Tortilla fish.
Tasty and slightly curdled are the pinchos that are sold at Pez Tortilla (Pez, 36; Espoz y Mina, 13 and Cava Baja, 42), a modern Madrid tavern that offers different tortillas, made with what the market supplies (monalisa or sour potato, depending on the season; vegetables, mushrooms ...).
In these
times of pandemic they
have
six varieties
(black pudding with caramelized peppers; Parmesan with fresh tomatoes and basil; brie, truffle and ham ...) and another four that rotate once a month.
However, the one that is never lacking is the Spanish one, which they make with onion, previously poached in a large pot with extra virgin olive oil over high heat and to which they then add the potato.
Prices?
3.30 euros for
normal
skewers
and 3.70 for brie, truffle and ham.
Ponzano.
A classic of Ponzano's breakfasts (Ponzano, 12) are its juicy tortilla skewers.
In Paco García's house, where what he takes is the kitchen of a lifetime, they make the omelette with sour potato, free-range eggs and little onion, all poached in a
good extra virgin olive oil
(2 euros).
And for the most traditional - in addition to the classic one, which can be accompanied with brava sauce, aioli or Padrón peppers - the omelette with a portion of tripe made at the moment and little curd is proposed (20 euros).
Sylkar.
We are still in the Chamberlain lands, in Sylkar (Espronceda, 17), the small establishment that Alfredo García and his wife, María, opened half a century ago.
In "unseen and unseen" his undercooked tortilla skewer, and according to a Galician family recipe, became famous in the neighborhood.
50 years have passed and today, with the second generation at the helm of the business, this snack - made with monalisa potato, olive oil and with or without onion - has not lost an iota of popularity (3.50 euros).
The first.
Why not have a snack while enjoying the views of Gran Vía?
And it is that at number 1 of this street, there is another
essential
of our route: La Primera, from the Cañadío group - led by Paco Quirós - and specialized in popular Cantabrian cuisine.
Very juicy, little done, very tasty and with onion, it has a legion of admirers, as does its tortilla skewer stuffed with tuna and mayonnaise.
And, if you are in the Salamanca district or in Castellana, try
La Maruca Velázquez
or
La Maruca Castellana
, two other establishments of the Cañadíó group that serve an equally delicious pincho.
Price: 3.50 euros.
Souk Valdemarín.
Yes, we know, in Zoco Valdemarín (Avenida de Valdemarín, 167) the star is the tuna, especially the almadraba, but the modest tortilla skewer is not far behind.
Galician kennebec potatoes, field eggs and a mixture of 0.4 oil, high oleic and extra virgin are the ingredients of its juicy omelette.
His recipe has more than one secret that we reveal: they confit the potatoes
with bay leaf and garlic
, which they remove before frying.
Once done, they let them warm and place them in a bowl where, previously, they have beaten six eggs and two extra yolks.
Before adding the mixture to the pan to curdle the tortilla, they add potato chips, and enjoy a delicious skewer for 3.50 euros.
Cafeteria Imperial IV.
Cafetería Imperial IV (Paseo Imperial, 4), between Madrid Río, Parque Atenas and La Latina, is a local local, with
great homemade food
and a great tortilla pincho.
Its terrace, like so many in the pandemic, has been the outlet for many residents of the area, the best place for its excellent free-range egg omelette and the
fine pulse of Carmen
, the great boss of the family business.
Little curd, no onion and always at a good temperature because their pans do not stop throughout the day with their most successful dish.
Skewer at 2.70 euros;
whole to take away, 12 euros.
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