An overabundance of eggs in my fridge were put to good use in this Americano take on the Spanish tortilla. photo by Nancy Duran

For some reason, last week every time I went to the market, I thought I needed more eggs, leaving me with 3 dozen eggs sitting in my fridge, taking up space. Annoying. But sometimes a silly mistake like that is all it takes for a recipe to be born. This is my take on what the Spaniards call a tortilla and the Italians call a frittata. Call it what you like. It was delicious.

The one tricky part to this recipe is the whole flipping nonsense which cooks the top of the tortilla. But fear not. If you just don’t have it in you to attempt this daring feat, you can always stick the pan under the broiler for a couple minutes to finish cooking the top layer. Just make sure you use an oven-proof frying pan if you choose to go that route.

This dish is equally at home on the breakfast table, as part of a fancy brunch spread or even for family night dinner (accompanied by a fresh green salad preferably). It really is anytime food.

Serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound baby white potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 ears corn, kernals cut from cobs
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
6 large eggs
Salsa, to serve

1. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the potato and onion and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through, stirring once or twice. When the potatoes and onions are almost softened, add the corn and oregano and stir to coat. Cover until corn is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Remove from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a colander in the sink to drain excess oil.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a fork, break up the egg yolks. Add the cooked and drained vegetables to the eggs and stir vigorously to incorporate. Season again with salt and pepper.
4. Place the same frying pan back over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture in and, using a fork, push the edges of the batter into the center, letting the liquidy center drain toward the edges. Then, reduce the heat to low and leave it alone to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom is set and the top is still slightly wet. Take a dinner plate and place it upside down on top of the pan. Gently flip the pan over so that the tortilla falls onto the plate. Then, slide the tortilla back into the pan, this time with the wet top facing down. Return to the heat to set the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan, let sit 5 minutes then slice up to serve warm or at room temperature with dollops of tomato salsa on top.

Nutritional analysis based on 6 servings (does not include salt and pepper to taste or salsa to serve):
Calories 237, Fat 14g, Sodium 76mg, Carbohydrate 21g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 2g, Protein 9g