Patatas Bravas Recipe | Spanish Potatoes & Tomato Sauce

Prepare your taste buds for an epicurean journey as we delve into the realm of patatas bravas, an iconic Spanish potato dish that has captured the hearts of food enthusiasts worldwide. In this recipe post, we will unravel the secrets behind achieving the perfect blend of textures and flavors that make patatas bravas a beloved culinary masterpiece. So, let’s don our aprons and embark on a gastronomic adventure to create the best potato dish of all time.

Boiling Potatoes to Perfection

We’ll begin by filling a pot with 1.5 litres (approximately three pints) of water. To this, we add 20 grams of salt and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate or baking soda. This will create the ideal environment for our potatoes to cook. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) and place a baking tray inside, ready to welcome our potatoes later.

Choosing the Right Potato Variety

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the star of our dish—the potato! We recommend using Spanish white potatoes, also known as pataka de galicia, for their delicious flavor and firm yet creamy texture after cooking. If these aren’t available, opt for charlotte or marabelles in the UK, and yukon golds or elbows in North America. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, preparing them for their flavorful transformation.

Creating the Bravas Sauce Paste

Now, let’s craft the soul-stirring bravas sauce. Begin by taking half a white onion and a quarter of a red pepper, chopping them roughly to manageable sizes for blending. Add a strong pinch of salt, approximately one full teaspoon, along with two whole peeled garlic cloves and one dried chili (use more if your chilis are milder). Embrace the spicy allure of this sauce with a generous squeeze of tomato paste, around a heaped tablespoon, and a glug of extra virgin olive oil, roughly three tablespoons. Blend all these ingredients into a smooth paste using a stick blender, ensuring the flavors blend harmoniously.

Preparing the Potatoes for Roasting

After around 10 minutes of simmering, the potatoes should feel tender when pierced with a knife while maintaining their shape. Remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl to steam off for a few minutes. This steaming process will help dry the surface of the potatoes slightly, ensuring crispy perfection in the oven. Add some olive oil, approximately three tablespoons, and a light pinch of salt, evenly coating the potatoes while roughing up their surface to achieve that irresistible crispiness.

Roasting the Potatoes

Retrieve the preheated baking sheet from the oven (be cautious—it’s hot!), and carefully place the seasoned potatoes on it. As they make a sizzling sound upon contact with the tray, drizzle a touch more olive oil on top. Now, it’s time for these delectable potatoes to roast in the oven for 20 minutes, setting the stage for their crispy, golden transformation.

Crafting the Flavourful Sauce

While the potatoes roast, we’ll work on perfecting the bravas sauce. In a medium pan over medium heat, add approximately two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Introduce half a tablespoon of flour, cooking it to form a loose roux, for about two minutes. Now, it’s time to add the paste we prepared earlier, frying it off for five minutes to allow the onion, garlic, and tomato paste to release their full flavors. Stir regularly to prevent any sticking or burning.

Adding Tangy and Spicy Elements

After five minutes of cooking and stirring, incorporate 20 milliliters (approximately one and a half tablespoons) of sherry vinegar, offering a tangy twist to the sauce. Additionally, add one heaped tablespoon of brown sugar and one tablespoon of hot paprika. If you prefer milder flavors, feel free to use sweet paprika. Keep the sauce at a heavy simmer for two to three minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the sugar and paprika from sticking to the pan.

Building Complexity with Tomato and Stock

It’s time to enhance the sauce with the addition of chopped tomatoes—approximately 200 grams or a cup’s worth. Feel free to use whole peeled tomatoes, crushed manually, or fresh tomatoes, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. To further elevate the sauce’s depth, add 100 milliliters (approximately half a cup) of chicken stock. Ideally, ham stock would be traditional, but a half chicken stock cube in water serves as an excellent substitute. Adjust the stock for a vegetarian-friendly version using vegetable stock. Cook the sauce for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking and burning.

Preparing for Serving

As the potatoes continue to roast in the oven, the sauce will be ready to serve after its 20 to 30 minutes of cooking. It should have deepened in color and thickened slightly. When you drag a spatula through the sauce, it should leave a light trail behind. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, sugar, or vinegar, as needed.

Roasting Culmination

After a total of 20 minutes in the oven, the potatoes should look slightly golden with a crust forming on the side that touches the tray. It’s time to flip them one more time and put them back into the oven with the heat turned off to keep them warm while the sauce finishes cooking.

Bringing It All Together

As the sauce cools slightly, it’s time to plate the masterpiece. You can serve the sauce hot or warm—either way, it’ll be delightful. To maintain the potatoes’ crispiness, serve them with the tomato sauce on the bottom, creating an appealing visual and culinary experience. Pile the crispy potatoes high and finish them with a generous dollop of aioli. Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley on top, and your patatas bravas are ready to impress!

Patatas Bravas Recipe | Spanish Potatoes & Tomato Sauce

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In this blog post, we ventured through the process of achieving the perfect blend of flavours and textures that make this iconic Spanish potato dish an absolute delight. From the tender Spanish white potatoes to the tangy and spicy brava sauce, every step of this culinary journey has led us to a delectable result. Whether you serve it hot or warm, with the sauce beneath or atop, this Patatas Bravas recipe is sure to captivate your taste buds and leave you craving for more. Don your aprons and savour the deliciousness, for this potato dish may indeed be the best of all time!

Ingredients

• 1kg Galicia potatoes (Charlottes, Yukon golds, Elbas as alternatives)
• 1.5 Litres / 3 pints of water
• 20g of salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of bicarbonate soda / baking soda
• Sauce Paste
• 1/2 White onion
• 1/4 Red pepper
• 2 x Garlic cloves
• Heaped tablespoon tomato paste / puree
• 3 x Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Cooking the Sauce
• 2 x Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon of flour (plain / all purpose)
• 20ml / 1.5 tablespoons sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar as an alternative)
• 1 x Chilli (I used a chile de arbol)
• 20g / 3 heaped teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 x Tablespoon hot paprika
• 200g / 1 cup chopped tomato
• 100ml or 1/2 cup of chicken / ham stock
• Parsley & Aioli to garnish.

Instructions

1. Start by filling a pot with 1.5 liters (3 pints) of water and adding 20 grams of salt and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate (baking soda).
2. Heat on medium-low and put a lid on and leave it to come up to a boil.
3. Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F) and place a baking tray in the oven.
4. Peel and cut potatoes into large chunks
5. Once the water reaches a boil, add the potatoes to the pot.
6. In a separate bowl, prepare the paste for the bravas sauce by blending together half a white onion, a quarter of a red pepper, a pinch of salt, 2 garlic cloves, one dried chili, a heaped tablespoon of tomato paste, and around a 30ml shot of extra virgin olive oil.
7. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the heat and let them steam off for a few minutes. Then add a 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a light pinch of salt and give them a mix around in the bowl.
8. Place the potatoes on a preheated baking tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
9. While the potatoes are baking, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a medium sized pan and add half a tablespoon of flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
10. Add the spiced paste to the frying pan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
11. Once the potatoes have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and serve with the sauce on top. Enjoy your patatas bravas.