Patatas Bravas are perhaps one of the best known tapas in Spain and can be found on the menu of almost any tapería around the country. They are crispy potato wedges made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, paprika and chilli. As with many Spanish dishes, there are many variations to how it is prepared, some versions use onions for example and in some areas of Spain Patatas Bravas are also served with a dollop of Alioli on top, as a way to balance out the spicy tomatoey sauce. You decide whether you want to use the Alioli, but with La Chinata’s delicious Salsa Brava in August’s Foodies Hamper, you only need to roast your potatoes before you can be tucking into a delicious bowl of authentic Patatas Bravas. But if you haven’t got a jar to hand, the recipe below gives instructions on how to make your own version. Normally, the potatoes are fried in oil however we’ve tried to make these a bit more healthy and have instead parboiled and then roasted the potatoes in a smaller amount of oil. The important thing though, is that you end up with lovely crunchy potatoes!
Preparation time: 25 mins Cooking time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
- 400g new potatoes
- 100ml extra virgin oilve oil
- course sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 dried red chilli, chopped
- 100ml white wine
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Method:
- Cut your potatoes into quarters, but leave the skin on them.
- Add them to a pan of boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes (parboil).
- Remove and drain and then spread them out in a deep sided baking tray. Pour over 50ml olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt, shaking the pan so that the potatoes are coated well.
- Preheat the oven to 210C and bake the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and crispy. You can always agitate the pan a couple of times during cooking to ensure an even cook.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and pat away any excess oil using kitchen paper. If you have some of La Chinat’s Salsa Brava to hand then your work is done and you only need to add a couple of generous tablespoons of their salsa to your potatoes before you tuck in. If you don’t, then never fear, you can always make some of your own, but best to have started this whilst the potatoes were in the oven.
- To make your own salsa brava, add 50ml of olive oil to a frying pan along with the chopped garlic, dried red chilli, cumin and paprika.
- When the garlic starts to brown, add the white wine and leave it to simmer and reduce by half.
- Next, add the tin of tomatoes, stir everything together and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a while before putting it in your food processor. Add your 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and then blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Add a couple of healthy dollops to your potatoes and serve immediately. You can always serve the remaining sauce in a bowl on the side in case you want to dip.
Recipe by kind permission of The Foodies Larder The Foodies Larder is an artisan Spanish Food Hamper business. Based in Andalusia in Spain, each month they put together a curated selection of seasonal food and ingredients sourced from artisan producers around the country for their monthly hampers. A Foodies Hamper subscription provides a steady supply of delicious natural Spanish produce. Subscribers receive a fresh selection of gourmet products every month – each different from the last, and each based on the season. With each months hamper they also provide a menu card with with recipes that show customers how to create the best possible traditional Spanish dishes with each month’s ingredients.