These crispy potato wedges served with a spicy tomato based salsa, or Patatas Bravas as they are more generally known, are perhaps one of the best known tapas in Spain and can be found on the menu of almost any tapería around the country. Made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, paprika and chilli, Salsa Brava is one of Spain’s most famous salsas, thanks to its association with Patatas Bravas. As with many Spanish dishes, there are many variations to how it is prepared, with some versions calling for inclusion of onions for example. Likewise in some parts of Spain Patatas Bravas are also served with a dollop of Alioli on top, as a way to balance out the spicy tomatoey one. Normally, the potatoes are fried in oil however we’ve tried to make these a bit more healthy and have instead parboiled and then roasted the potatoes in a smaller amount of oil. The important thing though, is that you end up with lovely crunchy potatoes!
PrintPatatas Bravas
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cuisine: Tapas
Ingredients
- 400g new potatoes
- 100ml extra virgin oilve oil
- course sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 dried red chilli, chopped
- 100ml white wine
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Cut your potatoes into quarters, but leave the skin on them.
- Add them to a pan of boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes (parboil).
- Remove and drain and then spread them out in a deep sided baking tray. Pour over 50ml olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt, shaking the pan so that the potatoes are coated well.
- Preheat the oven to 210C and bake the potatoes for about 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and crispy. You can always agitate the pan a couple of times during cooking to ensure an even cook.
- Whilst the potatoes are in the oven you can get on with making your salsa brava. Start by adding 50ml of olive oil to a frying pan followed by the chopped garlic, dried red chilli, cumin and paprika.
- When the garlic starts to brown, add the white wine and leave it to simmer and reduce by half.
- Next, add the tin of tomatoes, stir everything together and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a while before putting it in your food processor. Add your 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and then blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and pat away any excess oil using kitchen paper. Then add a couple of healthy dollops of your salsa brave to your potatoes and serve immediately. You can always serve the remaining sauce in a bowl on the side in case you want to dip.
