Kyle’s Kitchen

Arriba! These Spanish-inspired recipes will send your tastebuds on a trip to Spain

Here are some dinner recipes with a Spanish flair.

Tortilla de Patatas

This staple dish in Spain is a testament to how simple and beautiful a few eggs, potatoes and onions can be. It’s best eaten at room temperature, drizzled in olive oil with your favourite beer.

•      8 eggs
•      1 Yukon gold potato, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
•      6 slices of bacon, cut into strips (sticky note size)
•      1 large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
•      1/2 cup of milk
•      salt, pepper
•      olive oil
•      2 tablespoons of butter

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place potato in pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil (10-15 minutes, until tender).
2.    Drain potato and cool. Place a medium-sized pan on medium heat and add one tablespoon of oil. Add bacon to pan, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Cook until desired crispiness.
3.    Remove bacon and cook onions in the same pan until lightly brown, then remove from pan.
4.    Add three tablespoons of oil to pan and turn to medium-high heat. Add the cooked potatoes and roast to a hash-brown goldenness (eight minutes).
5.    When crisp, remove pan from heat and add butter. Ensure sides and bottom are well coated—this will prevent sticking.
6.    Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper and whisk until mixture is homogenous and frothy.
7.    Combine onions, bacon and potatoes in the pan and pour egg mixture over.
8.    Place pan in oven and cook (10-15 minutes).
9.    To test if they’re done, poke a toothpick in the center: if it comes out clean, it is ready.

Note: Mix will expand during the cooking process, so make sure your pan is only 3/4 full.

Spanish rice

This recipe is similar to the classic paella, however I use basmati rice as it’s generally cheaper to buy in bulk. The beautiful thing about this dish is you can add whichever ingredients tickle your fancy. I prefer to eat it the next day cold with a beer, but that’s me.

•      4 cups of Basmati rice
•      1 1/2 litres chicken stock
•      1 medium onion, diced
•      1 carrot, peeled and diced
•      2 stalks of celery, washed and diced
•      1 whole red pepper, cleaned and diced
•      1/2 cup frozen peas and corn
•      3 large prawns or 1 chorizo sausage (optional)
•      1 bay leaf
•      salt, pepper and paprika

1.    Heat medium pot with two tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, red peppers and bay leaf into pot. Cook for eight minutes.
2.    Turn heat to medium-high, add rice, stirring constantly to lightly toast (one to two minutes)
3.    Add chicken stock to cover and bring to a low boil, stirring every so often.
4.    After 30 minutes, rice will be cooked. Add frozen peas and corn with a teaspoon of paprika and season with salt and pepper, stir mix for five minutes then leave to warm on stove until ready to eat.
5.    You can garnish with roasted prawns or sausage, or eat rice as is.