How to make Stranamente

How to make Stranamente ~
stranamente = 'funnily enough' in Italian 

I find tortilla-like food warming to make, comforting to eat and easy to digest - real Sunday evening food.  

If cooking for two people
you will need:

• A small, quite thick-bottomed non-stick frying pan - mine is about 8 inches wide
• Knob of butter and a little light olive oil
• A small onion or leek
• Cold potatoes
• 3 Eggs
• A few slices of Italian or Spanish salami or chorizo if you like it
• Cheese of your choice
• Chives or parsley or a few spinach leaves
• Salt and pepper
• A little bit of energy, lots of love

What to do:

• Gently heat a knob of butter with a little cooking oil - this prevents the butter turning black or burning.
• Dice an onion (or a leek) and a cold potato, fling in the frying pan.
• Whilst this is cooking, whisk up three eggs lightly with a fork and add salt and pepper. 
• Once the onion and potato starts to brown tip into a bowl, keeping the hot butter in the pan.
• Pour the whisked egg into the pan.
• Add the potato and onion on top of the egg and TURN DOWN THE HEAT.

Now just add imagination ~

• Dice up several slices of salami or chorizo and add evenly on top.
• Sprinkle chopped herbs on top and perhaps a few shredded spinach leaves 
• Add small crumbs of whatever cheese you like.
• Keep on a low heat for about 20 minutes or until the base is golden brown and the egg mixture is cooked through.
• Turn if you wish to brown the top - we like it soft.
• Serve on hot plates with bread or toast and either sautéed mushrooms or a tomato salad.

If this doesn't work you either have the heat too high or need a better frying pan. Practice with different amounts and you'll have a dish you can serve hot or cold for breakfast, lunch or supper. Once cold you can cut it into slices to take on a picnic. It's a good to eat before an exam or facing trials of any kind and makes a perfect dish for unexpected guests.

I grew fond of this when staying at a little hotel in Seville. An odd job man called Gonzales used to make it for our lunch. The hotel has sadly closed but the recipe lives on bringing back memories of the time when I was first married.