Patatas Bravas
Patatas bravas — literally 'fierce potatoes' — is one of the most ordered tapas dishes in Spain. The concept is simple: crispy fried or roasted potatoes served with a smoky, spiced tomato sauce called salsa brava and a drizzle of garlic aioli. The potatoes need two things to be genuinely good: a fluffy interior and a crisp exterior that holds up under the sauce. The baking soda trick in the parboiling water roughens the potato surface and dramatically improves crispiness whether you roast or fry. The bravas sauce is built on smoked paprika — pimentón de la Vera, the sweet-smoky Spanish kind — which is non-negotiable. The aioli is simply good mayonnaise with fresh garlic and lemon.
Ingredients
- 800 gwaxy or all-purpose potatoes
- 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
- 5 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspfine salt
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tspsmoked sweet paprika
- ½ tspsmoked hot paprika or cayenne
- 400 gcanned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tspsherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½ tspsugar
- 120 ggood mayonnaise
- 1 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 2 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Parboil the potatoes with baking soda. Cut the potatoes into chunky, irregular pieces — roughly 3 cm. No need to be precise; irregular edges crisp better than smooth ones. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and add the bicarbonate of soda. Add the potatoes and boil for 5 to 7 minutes — they should be just tender at the edges but still firm in the center. You're not cooking them through; you're roughening their surface. Drain into a colander, then return them to the empty hot pot and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. The agitation breaks down the fluffy outer layer, creating a rough, starchy surface that crisps spectacularly in the oven. Spread on a plate or tray and leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.
- Make the salsa brava. While the potatoes steam, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden. Add 2 of the garlic cloves (minced) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add both paprikas and stir for 30 seconds — the heat blooms the spices and makes the sauce smell deeply smoky. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar. Stir, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or in a stand blender. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar, and heat. The sauce should be bold, smoky, and have a clear but not overwhelming heat.
- Make the garlic aioli. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the remaining garlic clove (finely grated or pressed to a paste), the lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Taste: it should be creamy, garlicky, and have a bright lemony edge. Cover and refrigerate. The aioli can be made up to 3 days ahead. For a more substantial garlic flavor, use 2 cloves instead of 1.
- Roast or pan-fry the potatoes. For oven roasting: preheat to 220°C (430°F). Toss the roughed-up potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet — don't crowd them. Roast 30 to 35 minutes, turning once at the halfway point, until deeply golden and crisp. For pan-frying: heat 1 cm of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels and season immediately with salt.
- Serve. Transfer the hot crispy potatoes to a serving bowl or platter. Spoon the warm salsa brava generously over the top — enough to coat, not drown. Drizzle the garlic aioli over in zigzag lines or dollops. Scatter the chopped parsley. Serve immediately while the potatoes are still crisp. Have extra sauce on the side for dipping. Traditionally this is tapas — shared at the table with drinks.
FAQ
Salsa brava's defining characteristic is its smoky depth, which comes almost entirely from smoked paprika — pimentón de la Vera, produced in the Extremadura region of Spain. The peppers are smoke-dried over oak before grinding, which gives the spice a woody, almost meaty quality that ordinary paprika simply doesn't have. There are two types: dulce (sweet-smoked) and picante (hot-smoked). This recipe calls for mostly sweet with a smaller amount of hot or cayenne to control the heat separately. If you substitute regular (unsmoked) paprika, the sauce will taste flat and lack the characteristic depth that defines the dish. Smoked paprika is widely available and keeps well in a sealed container.
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Comments (3)
Las patatas bien pero la salsa brava le falta un poco de picante para mi gusto. Le eche mas pimenton y quedo mucho mejor
Las patatas salen perfectas si las coces primero con bicarbonato como dicen. La salsa brava podria llevar un poco mas de piment picante en mi opinion
I spent a week in Barcelona eating bravas at different bars and the best ones all had one thing in common: the potatoes were parboiled with baking soda before frying. It breaks down the surface starch and gives you that shattering crisp exterior. The bravas sauce should be smoky, slightly sweet, and just a bit spicy — not a ketchup.