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Savory Bites: Patatas Bravas

7/24/2017

2 Comments

 
Patatas Bravas
Patatas Bravas - the perfect Spanish appetizer
The Occasion: Dinner party appetizers with a Spanish flair. Or munchies to go with a few beers. Really, what occasion doesn’t call for fried potatoes?!

Ever since our vacation to Spain earlier this year we’ve hosted a few dinner parties modeled after Spanish style meals and socializing. By this I mean that meals are leisurely, highly social with lively conversation prized as much or more than the food and drink, multi-course with lots of small bites, and may last for many hours.

What Makes This Special? The potatoes are cooked twice, resulting in OMG DELICIOUS – golden and crispy outside and tender inside. Nuff said. No wait, the sauce is also awesome. Now it’s nuff said.
The Playlist: Patatas Bravas translates to Fierce Potatoes in English, referring to the spices that appear in the dish three ways. Let’s give a listen to Fierce People by German electronic duo Blank & Jones as you read on.
Patatas BravasCrisp-tender patatas bravas with luscious paprika-spiced dipping sauce
Serve With: Spanish wine or gin-tonics. We like this white Rioja which is rich with flavor but also light and refreshing – Lopez de Haro. Vermouth is also a trendy cocktail in Spain right now. It’s not to my taste, but you do you.

Set the Table: I like to serve the sauce for the patatas bravas separately, in a small bowl or squeeze bottle like you would find at a burger joint for ketchup. One time I drizzled the sauce over the potatoes on the platter – so pretty, but some of the luscious tater crispiness was lost. It’s best to squeeze a little sauce onto the plate and dip the potatoes in before each bite. 

The Verdict: This is neither fast nor easy (but not difficult either, more of a medium effort) and it gets messy as the hot oil bubbles and spatters. Make it anyway. This oh-so-worth-it dish will turn any meal into a special occasion and make your friends very happy.
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As noted, the potatoes are dubbed ‘fierce’ thanks to a paprika-heavy spice mix that appears three times: first in the potatoes’ boiling water; next when the potatoes are tossed in a spice-salt blend after being fried; and finally in the savory dipping sauce. It’s more about flavor than burn-your-face-off hot, but you can adjust the seasonings up or down to suit your preference. Please click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
Print The Recipe- Chef John's Patatas Bravas
File Size: 592 kb
File Type: pdf
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Chef John's Patatas Bravas
Recipe source: Chef John via Allrecipes
 
INGREDIENTS:

Dipping Sauce:
  • 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 8 ounces mayonnaise
  • ½ ounce sherry vinegar, or more to taste
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons tomato paste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle peppers
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Spice Blend:
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  •  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground chipotle peppers
Potatoes:
  • 64 ounces cold water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 16 ounces vegetable oil for frying
 
DIRECTIONS:
  • For the dipping sauce: Combine garlic, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle or mash together in a small bowl until smooth. Then add the garlic mix to a food processor along with mayonnaise, sherry vinegar, tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, and cayenne pepper until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dipping sauce.
  • Note: You may wish to serve the dipping sauce from a squeeze bottle or a small serving bowl with a spoon.
  • For the spice blend: Mix 1 tablespoon salt, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder together in a small bowl. Set spice blend aside.
  • For the potatoes: Pour water into a large saucepan and stir 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, cumin, and bay leaves into water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover; simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Stir potatoes into water-paprika mixture, bring to a boil, and simmer until potatoes are tender but not fully cooked, 4 to 5 minutes. The tip of a paring knife should easily insert into the center of a potato cube.
  • Drain potatoes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes or longer.
  • Note: You can make the recipe ahead this far about 2 hours in advance. Leave the cool, dry potatoes on the wire rack and cover with a clean dish towel.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Add cooled potato cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to cool slightly.
  • Toss in a bowl with spice blend.
  • Transfer the seasoned potatoes to a serving platter and pass the dipping sauce.
Patatas Bravas
Do you ever bring home recipes as souvenirs from your vacation? Tell all in the Comments
2 Comments
Davida Kristy
7/25/2017 02:13:18 am

These look delicious. Can you fry the whole batch of potatoes at once, or should you do them in batches?

Reply
Ann @ Entertain the Possibilities
7/25/2017 11:50:21 am

Great question, Davida. It depends on the size of your pan. You do not want to overcrowd the potatoes - give them room to sizzle in the oil. So yes, do them in batches if need be.

Reply



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