Tortilla de patatas recipe: runny centre, championship style

This tortilla de patatas recipe is the house’s take on the style that won Spain’s championship on 4 October: Celia Correia of La Teulada, in Elche, took the title at Alicante Gastronómica with a barely set tortilla of free-range eggs and Galician potato. The key: potato confited at 120-130 °C and about 90 seconds in the pan.

The 19th Campeonato de España de Tortilla de Patatas was decided by a single vote, EFE reported; Alejandro Oliveira of La Falda de Chamberí, the 2025 winner, came second. Madrid likes its tortilla just as loose, as our guide to what to eat in Madrid explains. Correia has not published her recipe: the quantities and timings below are our own.

Ingredients

The potato is cooked slowly and the egg quickly; a tortilla goes wrong when those two speeds are swapped.

• 700 g floury frying potatoes such as Kennebec or Agria (about 600 g peeled)
• 8 large free-range eggs, very fresh
• 500 ml mild olive oil (most is recovered)
• 8 g fine salt

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into irregular slices 2-3 mm thick. Do not rinse them: the surface starch helps bind the egg. Toss with half the salt.
2. Heat the oil to 120-130 °C in a wide pan and cook the potatoes for 15-18 minutes. At that temperature they confit: soft through, with no crust.
3. Raise the heat to about 170 °C for the last 2-3 minutes, so the edges turn golden and crisp.
4. Drain in a sieve for 2 minutes and keep the oil. Leftover oil stops the egg setting and makes the tortilla greasy.
5. Beat the eggs with the remaining salt until just mixed, not frothy. Fold in the hot potatoes and rest for 5 minutes: the potato soaks up egg and its heat thickens the mixture.
6. Heat 1 tbsp of the reserved oil in a 22 cm non-stick pan over high heat. Pour in the mixture, stir the centre for 10 seconds and cook for 60 seconds. Fierce heat sets a skin before the middle cooks.
7. Cover with a flat plate, flip, slide the tortilla back in and cook for 30 seconds more. Turn out and rest for 2 minutes, so the residual heat thickens the centre into a cream.

A runny centre means undercooked egg

A tortilla this loose does not get hot enough inside to kill salmonella. Use fresh, clean eggs kept in the fridge, serve it at once and do not keep leftovers. For pregnant women, small children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system, cook it through instead: about 3 minutes a side over medium heat, until the centre is firm.

Tortilla de patatas recipe FAQ

With or without onion? Both are legitimate. For onion, confit 150 g, thinly sliced, with the potatoes from the start; it adds sweetness and moisture.

Which potato is best? A floury frying variety such as Kennebec or Agria, which softens without falling apart. Waxy potatoes do not absorb the egg.

Can I make it ahead? Not this version. Confit the potatoes up to a day ahead, keep them chilled and warm them before mixing with the egg.