Tapas – Patatas Bravas
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
For the Spicy Sauce:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
For Serving:
- Mayonnaise, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with enough cold water to cover by 1-inch along with ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Bring to a boil, over high heat, and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add back to the saucepan.
- Place the saucepan, over medium heat, and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt over them.
- Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes while stirring constantly until potatoes fluff up and dry.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet; drizzle with the olive oil, salt and paprika; transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a skillet; heat over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt; stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the water and apple cider vinegar; whisk everything until well combined and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
- Season the potatoes with salt and garnish with parsley, if preferred.
- Serve drizzled with sauce and mayonnaise.
Notes
Time the par-cooking – only boil the potatoes for 5 minutes and only sauté the potatoes for 5 minutes; they only need to soften up a bit, not cook them; this step just helps them to roast better in the oven.
Use a whisk – when making the sauce use a whisk to combine the ingredients. A whisk not only does a better job of blending, but it also is a good way to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Make it less or more spicy – to make the spicy sauce mild, either totally omit the cayenne or just use less; yet, to make it spicier just use more; feel free to use chili-infused olive oil, if desired.