Welcome to the dish people love to order at Spanish Tapas restaurants.
Potatas Bravas.
Not even sure if this is a common dish in Spain – I couldn’t find a recipe on any Spanish blogs.
But it’s easily a crowd favorite. And the flavors are deliciously Spanish – damn I love that smoked paprika.
I was surprised at how good these Potatas Bravas turned out. You know when you have a favorite dish at a restaurant, you kind of assume you could never do it just as good at home.
BUT YOU CAN.
The Salsa Brava is insanely simple, this recipe uses canned crushed tomatoes making everything easier. Though come tomato season, I can’t even imagine how good this would taste with freshly crushed tomatoes.
The Garlic Aioli could be made by hand – creating your own homemade mayo. For me, this was a weeknight meal and I don’t have time to casually throw together mayo on a Tuesday.
The garlic and fresh lemon bring the storebought mayo to life, so I promise you won’t miss the real stuff.
Finally, the star of the show, the humble potato. Every time I’ve had this dish in a restaurant the potatoes are deep fried to golden perfection.
IDK about you but I don’t like to deep fry unless it’s absolutely critical (see: donuts). The oil, the mess, let’s skip it and roast these instead.
I forgot about this little trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen until I found this recipe. By par-boiling (partial boil) the potatoes with baking soda, the potato starches soften and get sticky – making a thin coating on the outside of the potatoes that gets crispy in the oven with a fraction of the oil.
This is a great recipe to have on hand when friends come over, or you need something substantial to add to a meal. I had this with a glass of cab and Netflix – do you.
Recipe adapted/slightly changed from Fox and Briar.
Potatas Bravas
(Start making 60 minutes before you want Potatas Bravas)
Turn your oven to 500F and place a baking sheet in the oven while it warms up.
Heat up a pot of boiling water on the stove, add 1/2 tsp baking soda and a lump of salt. Chop your potatoes into 3/4 in pieces and add them to your pot of boiling water. Cover, boil for exactly 1 minute. Drain, and remove the potatoes back to the pot and stir for 30 seconds. Add the oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to coat then add to the pan that’s been in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes total, stirring at the halfway mark.
In the same pot, add 1 Tbsp oil and heat the pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic and spices. Stir for another minute, then add in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper. Keep this on low until your potatoes are ready.
Make the aioli by adding all three ingredients together, with a pinch of salt.
Assemble by adding salsa brava to the bottom of a warm plate, top with potatoes and dollop aioli on top. Add some parsley and coarse sea salt to finish the dish.
Danielle
