COOKING WITH ILYSSE

Love is a Spanish tortilla

By Ilysse Rimalovski

Estelle Fournier makes this Spanish tortilla that carries her back to her time in Pamplona.

The double cheek greeting, customary for the Fournier Lopez-Silvero family, feels especially welcoming these days. As new Maplewood residents by way of Summit, NJ, they already seem at home.

Rooted in the arts community, Estelle Fournier has replanted herself along with her husband, Dr. Alberto Lopez-Silvero. Their four grown daughters, Amaya, Camille, Margot and Ines, visit from around the globe, lured by the promise of family and something good to eat.

English, French and Spanish are spoken here, a blending of culture, personal histories and culinary instinct. For comfort, Cuban croquetas are as likely to appear on the table as is a croque monsieur. There might be picadillo or boeuf bourguignon. “And there is always wine,” says Fournier.

She was born in Paris, the youngest of eight siblings, with a yearning for the United States. After high school, wanderlust led her to a summer English program at Oxford, followed by the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.

She arrived in Spain without knowing a word of Spanish. There, she would meet her future husband, a Cuban American who was in medical school.

Originally from Havana, Lopez-Silvero was 4 when his family won the lottery to leave Cuba in 1967. As Fidel Castro consolidated power following the Cuban Revolution, the emotional and economic costs of leaving were vast. From Miami to Virginia, the Lopez-Silveros rebuilt their lives from scratch.

Fournier knew that the life she imagined felt real once she met Lopez-Silvero. They married in the countryside of France. He accepted a medical residency at Seton Hall University and so began their New Jersey chapter.

Today, he is an internist practicing in Elizabeth, affiliated with the Atlantic Health System. She channels her education and energy into the arts.As founder of Partner in Art LLC, Fournier specializes in contemporary art sourcing, acquisition and curation for private and corporate clients. She also serves on the board of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey as an honorary trustee after years of volunteer leadership.

In addition to living close to New York, the couple truly appreciates the local food scene, including Restaurant Lorena’s, the bakeries, cheese store and fish market.

The tortilla is a humble everyday dish on their family menu, a staple of Spanish cuisine that carries them back to their time in Pamplona. Typically served at room temperature, it is enjoyed as a light lunch or sliced into small wedges for tapas (a social ritual of eating small snacks). It becomes dinner with a hunk of crusty bread, simple green salad and a glass of Txakoli, a young Basque wine.

To perfect a tortilla is a learn-as-you-go experience. “The more I made it, the worse it would get,” says Fournier. She wondered what she was doing wrong until she found the recipe on the next page. She discovered that the key is to pack the potatoes and onions well and remove all of the oil. “It seems straightforward, but it’s not.”

Classic Spanish Tortilla

Adapted from The Basque Book (Raij, Montero & Marx)

Serves 4–6 • Prep: 20 min • Cook: 40–50 min • Rest: 1 hour

Ingredients

4–5 medium russet potatoes, (about 4 cups sliced)

1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced

1 cup canola oil

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more as needed to cover)

8 large eggs

1 teaspoon Kosher salt or flaked sea salt

Directions

1. Peel 4 potatoes, rinse under cool water and cut lengthwise into quarters. Slice quarters crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick pieces. You should have 4 cups of potato slices. If short, slice the fifth potato.

2. In a large 9- to 10-inch skillet, combine potato slices, sliced onion

   and a sprinkle of salt. Add canola oil and olive oil, enough to cover vegetables, adding more oil if needed. Cook over low heat uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are completely tender but not browned.

3. Remove from heat and drain vegetables through a colander set over a

   bowl, reserving the oil for future use. Set the strained vegetables aside.

4. In a large bowl, beat eggs well with 1 teaspoon salt. Fold the drained

   potato-and-onion mixture into the eggs until fully combined.

5. Reheat the skillet over high heat, adding 2–3 tablespoons of reserved

   oil. When oil is just beginning to smoke, swirl it up the sides of the pan to coat well.

6. Pour the egg-and-potato mixture into the skillet. Using a spatula, stir mixture vigorously, about three times, then let it settle. The goal is to heat the interior without fully setting it. Use the spatula around the edges to shape the tortilla and prevent sticking.

7. When the eggs just begin to set at the edges (about 1 minute), reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 more minute. The surface should still look slightly wet.

8. Invert a large flat plate over the pan. In one motion flip the tortilla onto the plate. Slide the

   tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side down. Use the spatula to tuck and shape edges.

9. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the tortilla is just

   set to your preferred doneness, custardy inside or cooked through.
   

10. Slide onto a serving plate. Allow the tortilla to rest at room temperature

    for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cut into wedges or bite-sized squares.

Variations

• Fold any additions into the egg mixture along with the cooked potatoes

  and onion such as: fresh peas, sautéed sliced asparagus, zucchini or wild mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, caramelized leeks or a scattering of crispy chorizo or bacon.

• Serve the tortilla with a sauce, typically a warm sweet pepper sauce (salsa de pimientos) or romesco.

If you have a family story and recipe to share with our readers, please contact

forilysse@icloud.com.

---

Ilysse Rimalovski is a well-seasoned home chef and journalist focusing on community, care and cooking.