Patatas A La Riojana

Certainly not as well known as the classic Patatas Bravas, this hearty dish from the area of La Rioja, a small region in the north of Spain most famous for its high quality wines, is still very special. Indeed, celebrated chef Paul Bocuse, known as one of the godfathers of nouvelle cuisine, famously tried this stew in a well-known bodega in La Rioja and is said to have described it as ‘one of the greatest dishes created by man’ whilst stating that ‘it should represent Spain all over the world’. Traditionally a dish enjoy by workers who had spent their days toiling in the fields, whether collecting olives or harvesting the grapes, this classic dish is now enjoyed by many, for both its simplicity and its comforting ability to satisfy hunger whilst warming from the inside out. Packed with rich smoky flavours, at its most simple it is chunks of potatoes, onion, garlic, sliced chorizo and paprika. To fully enjoy this dish, be sure to have some bread at hand which you can use to soak up the leftovers. And of course the best partner for this dish is a good wine from the region, such as a crianza red which holds up against the smokiness of the pimentón.

Patatas a la Riojana

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Cuisine: Tapas

Ingredients

• 4 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 chorizo sausage, cut into 1cm thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 30ml olive oil
• 200ml water
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Chop the onions and the garlic cloves and then remove the skin from your chorizo and cut it into 1cm slices.
2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and the garlic, cooking until golden.
3. Add the chorizo and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes to your pan, stirring to coat them in the oil released by the chorizo. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. When the potatoes start to brown, add the paprika, the salt, bay leaf and the water, pouring in just enough to mostly cover the mixture.
5. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through and the water has reduced by approximately half leaving a thick stew – about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat, check the seasoning and then serve together with crusty bread.