Tortilla vs Frittata

My view — and it's a pretty broad one. Generally speaking, a tortilla is Spanish and a frittata is Italian. The UK just has an omelette, which doesn't sound half as exciting.

The Maldives, on the other hand, had a green chilli omelette on the breakfast menu. I ordered it without knowing what to expect and it arrived fiery, fragrant, and completely at odds with the turquoise water outside. Sometimes the best things you eat are the ones you didn't plan for.

Back in the Casa Adora kitchen, when I'm pondering lunch and the eggs are sitting on the counter, I'll use whatever else is around — leftover potatoes, half an onion, whatever the fridge offers — and knock up a quick tortilla in my small cast iron skillet. It's perfect for one, or a starter for two.

When I'm entertaining, the exact same dish becomes a frittata. Same eggs, same pan, same olive oil. It just sounds posher. Guests seem to appreciate the effort.

You can call yours a tortilla, frittata, omelette, egg foo yung, omeleta, or even a Hangtown fry. The name matters less than the resting time — always give it ten minutes before you cut into it. Always.

For the full recipe, including the cheddar twist that horrified my neighbour, have a look at my Tortilla de Patatas post.