It happens to everyone: you hear the name of something for the first time, and suddenly, that thing is everywhere you look.

That’s how it happened with the tortilla española. I could swear I’d never even heard of it, and if I’d seen pictures before, I probably assumed it was just another frittata. What finally wakened my conscious to the tortilla was this photo:

(A classic tortilla from Valdubón, Spain, from www.spainontheroadagain.com)

That’s from the cookbook Spain…a Culinary Road Trip, by Mario Batali, the companion cookbook for his and Mark Bittman’s show, Spain…On The Road Again. What’s not to love about that photo, right?

But what really set the bar for me was this video from José Andrés’s show, Made in Spain. Chef Andrés takes you inside the kitchen of a restaurant in La Coruña, Spain, to see the “Rolls Royce” of tortillas being made.

One of the most popular dishes in Spain, the tortilla is one of the world’s perfect foods: affordable, easy, quick, and utterly adaptable.

If you have eggs, potatoes, and olive oil, you can make a tortilla. You do need a lot of olive oil, so the better yours is, the better the tortilla will be. Add fresh herbs, garlic, cured meats like jamón or chorizo, leftover grilled shrimp, manchego or cheddar or gruyére, bell peppers, onions, peas, roasted tomatoes, baby arugula, leeks, mushrooms, artichokes…the list is nearly endless. The tortilla can be eaten hot or cold, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and can be delicate and thin or thick as a cake. It’s the perfect brunch after a wild night out, or a great addition to a summer picnic. My favorite tortilla right now is spicy and bold with lots of roasted garlic, chunks of chorizo, and a grating of rich manchego cheese on top.

Now, about that whole “flip and slide” thing. Yes, you have to flip the tortilla over once the edges have set, and cook the raw underside. If you’re deft enough, you can just give the pan a good shake and let the tortilla flip itself. (Email me if you can do that.)The Spanish have a special lid-like plate called the vuelve-tortillas for flipping the tortilla, but I found that any lid with a handle on the back will do. Better yet if the lid doesn’t have a lip or rim.

There are lots of recipes, photos, and videos of the tortilla española around to inspire you, but here’s a basic one to get you started:

BASIC TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA RECIPE

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb waxy potatoes, sliced thin
• Salt and pepper
• 6 extra-large eggs

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high until very hot but not smoking. Add the potatoes and salt them. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the potatoes are just golden, but not brown. Remove to a bowl.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir the cooked potatoes into the eggs and gently pour the mixture into the skillet. Gently even it out and cook for about 1 minute, until the bottom is set. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the edges have set but the very middle of the tortilla is still runny. Carefully flip the tortilla over (invert it onto a plate or lipless lid, then slide it back into the pan, bottom side up). Any runny egg or bits of potato that come off, stick back onto the tortilla, and cook until the center has just set - but no longer. Flip (or slide) onto a clean plate and let it rest a few minutes before cutting into it.