An outbreak of salmonella has seen a famous Madrid eatery close its doors, with a signature dish identified as the culprit.

Casa Dani is renowned for the Spanish tortilla it serves, the creation involving lightly cooked eggs combined with potato. The Casa Dani tortilla is particularly runny, the restaurant winning a number of awards including the 2019 Spanish potato tortilla championship.

But recently, some customers who had consumed the tortillas experienced severe vomiting, dizziness and acute gastroenteritis, with six people hospitalised, including one reportedly in intensive care.

Government guidelines in Spain insist eggs served to the public either have to be pasteurised or, if fresh, cooked through at a temperature of at least 75C. However, in December last year, the government loosened the rules regulating that fresh eggs should be cooked through at “70C or more for two seconds”, or “at a temperature of 63C for 20 seconds”.

Alfredo Garcia, owner of another restaurant in the Spanish capital, Skylar, explained how they create their tortilla. “We put a thermometer into the tortilla, and we leave it cooking at 70 degrees for about two minutes and that kills all the bacteria. At 70 degrees it’s still runny.”

Garcia explained that where you originate from may dictate how you prefer your tortilla, with those in southern Spain preferring “tortillas like bricks”, while in northern Spain they like them “much more liquid”.