Mediterranean progeny

As you speak to Jean-Philippe Patruno at tapas hangout UNA (Spanish for ‘one’ and Latin for ‘together’), where he is the executive chef, you might be thrown for a moment by his French accent. He is the product of a trifecta of culinary cultures. Although he identifies himself as a Marseillais from the French Riviera, in truth, he holds nary an ounce of French blood.

The outgoing chef was born from an Italian father and Spanish mother who met in Grenoble in southeastern France and later moved south to Marseilles; his grandparents on both sides had packed their bags and children from Corata in the Apulian Bari province and Murcia in southeastern Spain respectively to Grenoble during wartime. His mixed heritage was an encumbrance to his culinary career – “I was always either not Spanish enough or French enough,” he laughs. Naturally, memories of dishes from his childhood were similarly varied.

‘CLASSIC’ TORTILLA

Serves 10-12 Prep time 40 minutes
Cook time 1 hour 30 minutes

canola oil for frying
600g russet potatoes, sliced to 5mm wide with a mandolin
3 tbsp olive oil
600g white onions, very finely chopped
1 bay leaf
6 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground white peppercorns

• In a shallow pan, fill with cooking oil until about half full and heat on medium.
• When the pan is hot enough, add potatoes and stir them in with a wooden spoon so that they do not stick to each other. Fry the potatoes till they are golden brown.
• Remove the potatoes, and pat dry with kitchen towels to absorb all excess oil.
• In a large casserole, heat up olive oil until hot and smoking, then add onions and bay leaf.
• Cook your onions slowly until they become brown and caramelised, with a consistency of a thick jam, about an hour.
• When the onions are ready, mix the potatoes and onions in a mixing bowl.
• Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with salt and freshly ground white peppercorns, then slowly add into potato and onion mix.
• Leave mixture for about 15 minutes until the potatoes have soaked up the eggs.
• In a frying pan, heat up some olive oil on medium, then add in the egg mixture.
• Let it cook until just set. It is ready when you see the tortilla forming at the edge of the pan and it slides easily out of the pan. Slide the tortilla onto a plate and flip it back into the pan to cook the other side.
• Repeat the flipping action until you have achieved your preferred doneness.