Patatas bravas

Patatas bravas are a classic Spanish tapas dish: crispy potato cubes with a spicy, lightly smoky tomato sauce. Across Spain there are different variations, but the essence remains the same: simple, savoury and ideal for sharing.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 15 minutes
Cooking: approx. 30 minutes
Total time: approx. 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 800 g waxy potatoes (e.g. Bildstar), peeled
• Sunflower or groundnut oil for frying
• Sea salt
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Spanish red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (preferably pimentón dulce)
• Optional: ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera, optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 400 g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Preparation

• Peel the onions and garlic. Finely chop the onions and finely chop the garlic and the red chilli.
• Cut the peeled potatoes into even cubes of approx. 2–3 cm.

Method

1. Heat the olive oil for the sauce
   Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium-high heat.
2. Soften the onion until translucent
   Cook the onion in the oil until soft and translucent. If you like, let it turn lightly golden for extra sweetness, without letting it burn.
3. Fry the garlic and chilli briefly
   Add the garlic and the red chilli and cook gently for 2–3 minutes.
4. Cook the paprika briefly
   Sprinkle the paprika over the onion-garlic mixture and stir well. Cook the paprika briefly (approx. 30 seconds) without letting it burn.
5. Deglaze with sherry vinegar
   Deglaze with the sherry vinegar and stir to loosen any browned bits from the base of the pan.
6. Let the sauce simmer
   Add the chopped tomatoes and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until it has thickened a little and the flavours have mellowed nicely. Stir occasionally.
7. Remove the bay leaf and blend if desired
   Remove the bay leaf. If you want a smoother texture, blend the sauce with a stick blender.
8. Season the sauce
   Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. The sauce should be spicy, lightly smoky and clearly seasoned, without becoming harsh.
9. Parboil the potato cubes
   Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potato cubes for 5–7 minutes, until the outside is just starting to become tender but the inside is still firm.
10. Let the potatoes steam-dry
    Drain the potatoes and let them steam-dry briefly. Gently shake the pan so the edges of the cubes become slightly rough; this will make them crispier later.
11. Heat the frying oil
    Heat a layer of oil about 2–3 cm deep in a large (deep-frying) pan or deep frying pan to 170–180 °C.
12. Fry the potatoes until golden
    Fry the potato cubes, preferably in batches, until golden and crisp. Allow 5–7 minutes per batch, depending on the size of the cubes.
13. Drain and salt
    Lift the fried potatoes out of the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sea salt straight away.
14. Serve with sauce and parsley
    Put the hot, crispy potatoes into a bowl or on a flat serving platter. Spoon a generous amount of warm brava sauce over the potatoes, or serve the sauce alongside in a bowl so everyone can help themselves. Sprinkle with the finely chopped parsley just before serving.
15. Add the sauce just before serving
    Patatas bravas should be crispy. Therefore add the sauce only just before serving, or serve it separately. If you don’t want to fry, you can also toss the potato cubes with olive oil and roast them in a preheated oven (200–220 °C) for 30–40 minutes until golden and crisp, turning once halfway through. The flavour stays Spanish, although the texture is slightly different from the classic fried version.