Patatas Bravas
Look, I have never met a potato I do not like. Mashed; good. Fried; good. Vodka? GOOD. But there are some potato variations that are humble. Patatas Bravas on the other hand is flashy, with a punch of flavour and some nice deep colour.
You will need:
- 500-600g potatoes (I like new/fingerling potatoes)
- 1 cup olive oil, with 1/3 reserved for the sauce.
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 and 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp tomato puree
- Salt
- Kewpie mayonnaise
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil as you prepare your potatoes. After you have washed the potatoes and removed the eyes, depending on the size of the potato you are using, you can quarter them before dropping them into the boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes, drain, then let them rest in the fridge until you can handle them.
Heat a frying pan with 2/3 oil over medium-high heat and set your oven to 160 degrees fan. Returning your attention to the potatoes, halve or quarter them to make manageable bites, the drop into the heated pan. Brown the potatoes on all sides before, ~5 minutes altogether, before salting them to taste and popping them in the oven to bake, approx 15 minutes.
Whilst the potatoes bake, heat the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil in a small saucepan over medium. Stir in the cayenne, paprika and flour, this will make a roux, much like the start of a bechamel. Cook the flour for about two minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the broth and tomato puree, continuously stirring until a thick, smooth sauce is achieved. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes and salt to taste. Cover your pan and set on the back burner or you can pop the sauce into a thermos to keep warm.
When ready to dish up the potatoes, transfer them to a dish, slather in the bravas sauce, squiggle some Kewpie on top, then sprinkle with some paprika. Sure to bring some flair to your table, Patatas Bravas are enjoyable as a part of any spread. Happy eating.