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Patatas Bravas

This is one of the classic appetizers or small bar tapas you will be served if you are traveling around Spain. The dish consists of fried potatoes, topped with a rich red slightly spicy sauce with a hint of smokiness. In addition to the patatas bravas sauce, some establishments serve this dish with a garlic aioli as well.
The traditional patatas bravas sauce does not include tomatoes. However, many modern variations do. The recipe for the patatas bravas sauce here includes a bit of tomato puree, or fried tomato puree (tomate frito) if you have it.
Both the bravas sauce and garlic aioli recipes have been included in this recipe, because I think both pair wonderfully together with the fried potatoes. Try it out.

Ingredients

For the Bravas Sauce:

  • ¼ cup cooking olive oil
  • ¼ white onion small dice
  • 1 Tbsp pimenton picante or hot pimenton (smoky pimenton)
  • 2 tsp sweet pimenton dulce or sweet pimenton
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup tomato puree or tomate frito
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt or to taste
  • 3 tsp sherry vinegar or to taste

For the Garlic Aioli:

  • 7/8 cup sunflower seed oil
  • 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ¾ lemon

For the Potatoes:

  • 32 oz (2 lbs) yukon gold potatoes peeled, cut into 3/8” hash-brown-type, slightly irregular sizes, reserved in water
  • 2 Tbsp salt
  • 4 cups cooking-quality olive oil

Instructions

For the Bravas Sauce:

  • Heat ¼ cup olive oil on stove and add the ¼ white onion.
  • Add the hot and sweet pimenton, as well as the cayenne pepper and minced garlic.
  • Add the all-purpose flour and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Add the tomato puree and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
  • Taste and add salt and sherry vinegar until it tastes lovely.
  • Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool slightly.
  • Blend sauce using an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Taste again and contemplate whether more salt or sherry vinegar is needed.
  • Add more salt or sherry vinegar as desired.

For the Garlic Aioli:

  • Add all ingredients to immersion blender container and blend until emulsified.
  • Taste and add more lemon or salt if needed.

For the Potatoes:

  • Heat oil to 325F.
  • Peel and cut potatoes.
  • Cook potatoes in oil until completely tender and cooked-through, with a lightly golden exterior.
  • Remove potatoes from oil and drain on paper towels.
  • Serve immediately, with bravas sauce and garlic aioli.
  • *If you want to get fancy, put your bravas sauce and aioli in separate small zip-lock bags, and cut a small hole on the edge of the bottom of each bag and squeeze out the sauce in an artisanal drizzle-approach over the cooked potatoes, served on a large family-style serving tray.

Notes

For the cooking olive oil here, find an olive oil that is meant for cooking, as opposed to the fancy extra virgin very green and flavorful olive oil you would use to finish cooked dishes or create a wondrous vinaigrette.
In the US, from a culinary school perspective, we are encouraged to avoid the use of olive oil as a frying oil, given its relatively low smoke point relative to more commonly-used frying oils seen here in commercial fryers. In Spain, olive oil is used as the means to fry a multitude of items to create fantastic and iconic Spanish dishes, such as the Spanish tortilla. Bottom line: the proper olive oil can be used as a fantastic frying oil, and is commonplace in some countries.
These potatoes are best enjoyed when they are right out of the fryer and have just been drained and lightly salted. Cook the potatoes in smaller batches if you prefer to eat this in rounds.