Potato Bravas – My favorite form of Tapas
I love potatoes. Potato Bravas is a signature Spanish tapa, which is the mainstay of a good bar. Tapas or otherwise. There is something magical about good crisp potatoes. Potatoes in a spiced tomato sauce topped with aioli. The ingredients are simple, but everything takes a lot of steps. I often make this as an indulgent meal that we can all pick on.
My Potato Bravas Story
This recipe is one of my favorite forms of a tapa. I add a little more shall we say zest to the sauce. Potato Bravas loosely translates to fierce or bold potatoes. Speaking of potatoes, I LOVE potatoes!
Wait did I already say that? In this dish I usually use Yukon Golds. It calls for a complex potato with medium levels of starch.
This dish comes together beautifully with spicy homemade tomato sauce, drizzled with homemade aioli. There are variations to this. Just do not use mayonnaise. I use a few tips from this recipe. Mostly mixing it by hand and using a blend of olive oil and canola oil.
Just a note, this recipe without the aioli is acceptable, I cannot in good conscience tell you that it is just as good, but without the aioli it becomes a peaceful vegan recipe, something that a lot of you ask me for. So, before we get to the recipe we need to get clear on the takeaway, if using aioli make it yourself and do not try to bake the potatoes.
Even as I write this, I realize that this just will end up being a post on the darker side of life.Beverly, my adopted mom the one who has seen me through those confusing and conflicting early years of adulthood, bad men and getting settled is very ill. At 91, it is unlikely that she will make it much longer.
Over the years I have played with the dish, mostly the sauce. I feel it is a sure-fire combination! Indulgent and lush!
An easy appetizer along these lines include these salmon shrimp cakes and for some more potato goodness consider these alu parathas.
A beautiful recipe for a classic tapas - Potato Bravas. This is my go to recipe when I want comforting indulgent party fare.
Ingredients
- !For the Potatoes
- 3 medium sized potatoes (such as Yukon Golds)
- Oil for frying
- ! For the aioli
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- For Quick and Spicy Tomato Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 medium sized very ripe tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 1 large spicy red cayenne pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- Lots of cilantro or parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in plenty of water for about 10 minutes, until somewhat soft but not cooked through. Remove the skin and cut into cubes and dry thoroughly.
- In the meantime, mash the garlic clove and mix with the lemon juice and beat in the egg yolk and salt. Mix in the olive oil a few drops at a time and beat well, but do not over beat. Continue this process with patience, until the mixture thickens and gets a rich and creamy sauce like texture.
- Add in just enough oil to let the mixture emulsify, and set aside. This dish does not need a very thick aioli.
- Once the aioli is done, heat the olive oil for the tomato sauce and add in the white onion and minced garlic and cook for five to seven minutes until the onion is soft and beginning to turn pale golden.
- Add in the powdered cumin, smoked paprika and the tomatoes, cayenne pepper and the salt and cook for 8 minutes. Stir in the water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes and set aside.
- Set the sauce aside.
- Place about 2 inches of oil for frying in a skillet, and heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the cubed potatoes and fry until crisp and golden.
- To serve and assemble, place a little of the tomato sauce on the plate, add the crisp potatoes over the tomato sauce.
- Drizzle with the aioli and garnish with the cilantro or parsley and enjoy!