QUARANTINE DIARIES, COMFORT FOOD & ALL THE SMALL THINGS THAT KEEP US GOING

It probably comes as no surprise that my closest friends love food almost as much as I do. My friend Veronica is a massive foodie and there is no dish she makes that I haven’t asked for a second helping. She is also responsible for this wonderful aubergine bake that has found its way on the blog. Today though she is sharing her experience from Compostella, Galicia whilst in quarantine and her own comfort food: tortilla!

Head straight to the recipe.

A few words about you and where did the quarantine find you?

My name is Verónica, I work as a freelance translator and I love cooking, eating with friends, going to the cinema and dinking red wine. I currently live in Compostela, a small city in Galicia, Spain.

What did it change for you ?

You might think that I am used to work from home, which is true, but I am a social animal and after 18:30 I was out of my place every single day. Going to the gym, political activism, meeting friends or grocery shopping used to be part of my daily life. On week ends we use to spend the afternoons gardening and remodelling a house we bought in the area.

How many loo-rolls can you count in your cupboards?

I have around 20 loo-rolls in the bathroom, because we bought a huge stock around October, there was an irresistible 3 x 2 offer ?

Comfort food: Tortilla

Those who know me wouldn’t be surprise if I say Tortilla… The huge debate in Spain is not Catalonia, but how should the tortilla be cooked, onions, no onions, garlic, peppers, chorizo or any other filling or plain, and the most important difference of all: runny eggs or dried… Personally I like it half way, nor soft neither runny.

Spanish omelette is my favourite since I can remember and I worked hard to get the perfect one. I will try to give the recipe, but the quantities won’t be precise, as I always eyeball it.

Print Recipe

Spanish tortilla

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Spanish

Ingredients

Around 1 kilo of potatoes
6 free range eggs
1 onion
1 garlic clove
Olive oil
1 pepper optional
Salt

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and chop them finely in a bowl, around 2 mm thick.
Chop the onions and add it to the potatoes, add salt to taste and mix it. Put a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat, add olive oil until it covers the base (yes, we use a lot of olive oil). Add the potato mixture and the garlic in the oil until soft but not brown – this should take about 20-25 mins. Do not forget to stir the mixture, crushing sometimes the potatoes, this will help the starch to thicken the mixture. You know it will be ready when the potatoes are soft.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Separate the potato mixture from the oil and add the potatoes to the eggs and mix well. Using the same pan, with a drizzle of olive oil put it on high heat and wait until it is hot, then add the eggs and potatoes.
Move the pan to prevent from sticking in the base and when the edges are starting to be cooked (about 2-3 minutes) turn it over with a plate and put it back to the pan. Move from time to time the pan and when you see the tortilla moving from the base it means it is ready.
Transfer the tortilla to a plate and wait 10 minutes, it will allow the tortilla to cook from inside and preventing from drying it completely. You can serve it as a tapa with a fresh beer or wine or a main course with a bit of salad.

How do you cope?

I am doing ok, at the beginning I was worried about the workload decrease I had and the crisis we will be facing after the Covid-19, but I have managed to put all that away and I take it as holidays. So I use all the time to catch up with my reading and cooking.

Where will you go eat once this madness is over?

I miss to share some tapas and wine with my friends in the old part of the city. I probably start with croquetas in Conculler and continue with a tapa of pork ear in 46 both in Rua do Franco, in Compostela.

Share a wish, just so we finish on a happy note

I hope the governments of all countries will realise how important it is to invest in health and care so we can be prepared if we have to face another situation like this one in the future.

from Compostela with love,

Veronica

PS: If you wish to be part of my quarantine cuisine diaries and share your experience on Eat Yourself Greek (EYG), please drop me a line here. Thanks, Eugenia