Every night of my recent vacation, my husband and I sat at the overwater bar, watched the sunset (and would-be influencers taking selfies) and ate patatas bravas. A perfect little bowl of crispy potatoes served with not one, but two sauces. Always my favorite tapa, I knew I needed to try to make them at home.
Ingredients:
2 lbs Russet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
For the Salsa Brava:
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion (5 ounces; 140g), roughly chopped
3 medium garlic cloves (15g), roughly chopped
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon (10g) pimentón dulce (sweet smoked Spanish paprika)
2 teaspoons (6g) pimentón picante (hot smoked Spanish paprika) (see note)
1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (240ml) homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons (10ml) sherry vinegar
Aioli:
1 whole egg
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup canola, vegetable, or light olive oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put potato chunks in a large bowl, season generously with salt and toss to coat. Leave for a few minutes to let potatoes absorb salt. Add olive oil and unpeeled garlic cloves and toss to coat well.
Transfer potatoes (and garlic cloves) and oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy roasting pan. Make sure to have potatoes in a single layer without crowding. (If necessary, use two pans.) There should be a good ½-inch oil in the bottom of the pan. Add more if required.
Place pan in oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until potato chunks are well browned on the bottom. With a metal spatula, carefully turn chunks over. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, and continue roasting until potatoes are well browned and crisp, about another 15 to 20 minutes.
While potatoes are roasting, make the two sauces [Apologies - it's been a while since I've blogged...I forgot to take a lot of pics]:
For the Salsa Brava: In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and just beginning to brown on the edges, 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add sweet and hot pimentón, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste turns dark brick red, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined and mixture begins to stick to bottom of saucepan, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add stock, stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a heat-resistant spatula to prevent sticking and scorching, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a countertop blender or immersion blender jar, along with sherry vinegar. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt to taste.
For Aioli: Place egg, garlic, and lemon juice in the bottom of an immersion blender cup. Pour canola (or vegetable or light olive) oil on top and allow to settle for 15 seconds. Place head of immersion blender at bottom of cup and switch it on. As aioli forms, slowly tilt and lift the head of the immersion blender until all oil is emulsified.
Transfer aioli to a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil. [Note: I shockingly ran out of olive oil so my aioli wasn't as thick as it should have been] Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. [Not sure why, but I have no photos of this step!]
This was so amazing I forgot to take a lot of photos! Make this!!
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