The spicy potato, patatas bravas, is one of the classics in Spanish Tapas. Although Tapas is diverse in Spain, spicy potato is a must-have in almost every pub restaurant. This classic Tapas is a fried potato with a golden surface and a soft and crunchy texture. It is accompanied by a special spicy tomato sauce (Las Salsas Bravas), sometimes accompanied by Alioli.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Spanish
Keyword casual
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 4persons
Calories 902kcal
Author Guy McGarva
Ingredients
For Potato
600gPotato
50mlOlive oil
1tspSalt
For Salsa
1smallSmall onion
2tbspOlive oil
3clovesGarlic
2tbspSherry /white wine vinegar.
400gTin of chopped tomatoes
1tspDried chili flakes
½tspSmoked paprika
1tspSugar
1tbspChopped parsley
1Bay leaf
For Alioli
4clovesGarlic
½tspCoarse salt
2Egg yolk
1tbspLemon juice
250mlExtra virgin olive oil
PinchSalt & pepper
Instructions
Peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm cubes; Peel the onion and finely chop. Peel the garlic and finely chop.
To make Salsa:
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook gently for about 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chillies and paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sherry or white wine vinegar then simmer for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, sugar and bay leaf. Cook for 20 minutes until it is reduced to almost a puree, adding a little water to stop the mixture thickening too much if necessary. Leave to cool slightly then remove the bay leaf, tip into a food processor and blend until smooth.
To make Alioli:
Place garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar and mash to a smooth paste.
In a large bowl add the egg yolk and the mashed garlic. Start to whisk the egg yolks. Once the eggs yolks and garlic are thoroughly mixed start to pour in the oil very slowly at first. Start with just a few drops at a time and then slowly add in larger amounts, stirring all the time. The egg yolks should start to get thicker and the colour should change to a lighter yellow. Add in the lemon juice and whisk some more. The mixture should become runnier but should still be quite thick and form stiff peaks. If it is still too thick you can add some warm water. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
To cook potatoes:
Meanwhile, drop the potatoes into a large pan of well-salted water and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until just tender (a fork will go into the potato but will not break up). Drain well.
Heat 50ml of olive oil in a large (28cm), non-stick frying pan, and shallow-fry partly cooked potatoes in a single layer for 10–15 minutes, turning them regularly, until crisp and golden-brown all over. When cooked remove from pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Transfer the cooked potatoes to a serving bowl, pour over the tomato sauce and mix well, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with alioli,