Tortilla Rusa
"Russian Tortilla"
From the treasured pages of Resetas de Cocina: Refrescos, Reposteria, Dulces
Written by Cármen Volante
Tortilla Rusa
"Se hace una masa compacta con bizcochos desmenuzados para lo cual se prefiere sean duros, y vino blanco jeneroso; hasta lo cual se baten los huevos revolviendolos con el bizcocho. Se frie en manteca y mantequilla cuidando de que se dore bien. Despues se espolvorea con azúcar y se le pasa la pala candente para formar caramelo. Se sirve caliente."
English Translation
"A compact dough is made with crumbled sponge cakes, for which it is preferable they are hard, and generous white wine; then the eggs are beaten and mixed with the sponge cake. It is fried in lard and butter, taking care to brown it well. Afterwards, it is sprinkled with sugar and a hot spatula is passed over it to form caramel. It is served hot."
Note on the Original Text
This recipe is written in the distinctive shorthand of early 20th-century Spanish cookery, where home cooks were trusted to have intuition and familiarity with techniques—the ingredient amounts are vague, rooted in practice rather than precision. The spelling reflects older Castilian conventions, such as 'jeneroso' for 'generoso' (generous/fortified), 'manteca' meaning lard, and 'bizcochos' denoting both cake and rigid biscuits depending on context. Instructions are concise yet rely on an understanding of texture, doneness, and household improvisation.
Title
Resetas de Cocina: Refrescos, Reposteria, Dulces (1910)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Cármen Volante
Era
1910
Publisher
Unknown
Background
An enchanting early 20th-century manuscript cookbook filled with delightful recipes and menus, including Brazilian tarts, inventive egg dishes, savory chicken pies, and sweet yolk cookies—each page a celebration of culinary tradition and creativity.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
Tortilla Rusa hails from early 20th-century Spain, a product of inventive home cooks making use of leftover pastries and luxury ingredients. Its recipe was discovered in Cármen Volante's 1910 manuscript 'Resetas de Cocina', a handwritten trove of contemporary delights for well-heeled households. During this period, domestic cookbooks contained recipes reflecting both the resourcefulness and opulent tastes of bourgeois Spanish society. The use of sponge cake and wine nods to the importance of not wasting food while elevating leftovers with elegant flourishes—caramelized sugar, rich butter, and an artful presentation.
The recipe originally required just a few simple but essential kitchen tools: a large ceramic or metal mixing bowl for preparing the dough, a wire whisk or fork for beating the eggs, and a sturdy frying pan—often made of iron or tin. To caramelize the sugar, a flat metal spatula ('pala') was heated directly over a flame until glowing red, then carefully pressed atop the sugared surface. This dramatic flourish typifies an era before household blowtorches or broilers, relying on open flames and bold manual skill.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings
2
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 5.3 ounces stale sponge cake or ladyfingers (bizcochos)
- 2.5 fluid ounces (about 1/3 cup) white wine (preferably semi-sweet or generous Spanish wine, such as sherry - substitute: dry muscatel or sweet sherry)
- 2 large eggs
- 0.9 ounces unsalted butter
- 0.9 ounces lard (or substitute with additional butter if lard is unavailable)
- 2 tablespoons (about 0.9 ounces) granulated sugar
Instructions
- To make Tortilla Rusa in a modern kitchen, start by crumbling about 5.3 ounces of stale sponge cake or ladyfingers into a bowl.
- Pour over approximately 2.5 fluid ounces (about 1/3 cup) of good-quality white wine (a slightly sweet variety, such as a Spanish sherry or a dry muscatel, is ideal).
- Mix gently to soften the crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, beat 2 large eggs lightly and combine them with the moist cake mixture, mixing until a firm, cohesive dough forms.
- Heat a blend of 0.9 ounces each of butter and lard or unsalted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Scoop in the dough, shaping it into a thick, rustic omelet.
- Fry until it forms a golden, crisp crust on both sides.
- Once cooked, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the top.
- Carefully heat a metal spatula or spoon until red-hot (you may use a kitchen torch for safety), and pass this over the sugared surface to caramelize it, creating a thin, crackling crust.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Estimated Calories
270 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes around 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients, and about 10 minutes to fry and caramelize the tortilla. Each serving has about 270 calories, and this recipe serves 2 people.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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