A Spanish omelette makes a great addition to a tapas style low FODMAP meal. Swap the onion for chopped chives and it still tastes really authentic. Try serving it with olives, roasted red peppers marinated with some garlic oil and very finely chopped rosemary or oregano, a leafy green salad and thin slices of manchego cheese. My husband’s uncle Vincent is Spanish and he’s a brilliant cook. Although it’s a bit of a cliché his signature dish is Spanish omelette (or tortilla) and he always makes one if we’re coming to visit. He’s given me lessons on how to make the perfect Spanish omelette so I’ll share some of his tips. Firstly he swears by using baking potatoes to get the best result. Then when frying the potatoes in olive oil put a lid on the pan so they steam at the same time, he often adds an extra splash of water. Keep the heat low to medium, you want the omelette to be lightly coloured, not too brown. His last tip is not to eat the omelette on the day you cook it but make it a day in advance to improve the flavour. This is a controversial one for IBS as cooked and cooled potatoes would be high in resistant starch which is a bit like fibre and has a similar effect. It doesn’t get digested in the small intestine and like the FODMAPs it gets fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. However unlike FODMAPs it’s slowly fermented and doesn’t have the same osmotic effect that draws water into the large intestine. The effects of resistant starch haven’t been tested on people with IBS but in healthy individuals large amounts can cause IBS-like symptoms. So if you decide to have it cold or re-heated avoid large amounts and keep to an average portion size.
If you need more inspiration for lunches or light meals, have a look through my low FODMAP lunch recipes.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 600g (2 large) baking potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 5 eggs
- A handful of chives, finely chopped
- A good pinch of salt
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium, non-stick frying pan, add the sliced potato and sauté
- Cover the frying pan with a lid or plate and allow the potatoes to cook gently for 20 minutes until soft but not falling apart, stirring several times during cooking to ensure they are not sticking and adding a little water if they are
- Meanwhile beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add chopped chives and salt
- Add the cooked potatoes to the beaten eggs and gently mix
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan and keeping it on a low to medium heat return the potato and egg mix to the pan
- After about 10 minutes, when the omelette is starting to look set at the sides cover the frying pan with a large plate and invert the pan, tipping the omelette onto the plate then carefully slide it back into the frying pan to cook for another 5 minutes
- Serve in slices as part of a tapas style meal