Patatas bravas is one of the most common and popular tapas in Spain. For this recipe, I have made a chive aioli to accompany these delicious crispy fried potato pieces with spicy tomato sauce.
Serve this as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side dish with grilled steak, roasted chicken, or burgers. Happy cooking!
Specialty equipment:
Blender
Fine-mesh strainer
Deep fryer
Yield: serves 4–6
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cook time: 1½ hours
2 lb russet potatoes
Spicy Tomato Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tsp hot smoked paprika
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
Chive Aioli
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Salt
Fresh cilantro
Red pepper flakes
For the potatoes
Cut the potatoes into small pieces. I left the skin on my potatoes, I like the crispy skin bits after they have been fried. Peel them if you prefer.
Put the potatoes into a saucepot and cover them with cold, salted water.
Bring the water to a boil on high heat. Once it boils turn the heat to medium and cook the potatoes until they are soft and almost getting overcooked, 12–15 minutes.
Turn the heat off and gently drain the water from the potatoes. Lay them out flat on a tray and cool completely in the fridge.
The potatoes should be quite soft, be careful not to break them up too much. They will firm up when cold and once fried be crispy on the outside and soft like mashed potatoes on the inside!
For the sauce
Heat the olive oil in a saucepot on medium heat.
Add the onions and stir occasionally until the onions are translucent and starting to brown a bit.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes.
Crush the whole tomatoes up a bit by hand and add them to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
Turn the heat to a low simmer and cook the sauce for 35–45 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
Once the sauce is cooked, taste and season if required. Turn the heat off and pour the sauce into a blender. Puree until smooth.
Set up a fine-mesh strainer over another pot and press the sauce through. Keep the sauce warm while you prepare the rest.
For the aioli
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
Finishing the plate
Preheat a deep fryer to 350°F.
Lower the potato pieces into the fryer and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do this in batches to prevent your fryer from cooling which would make your potatoes greasy.
Season the potatoes with salt when they come out of the fryer.
Drizzle with spicy tomato sauce, chive aioli, fresh chopped cilantro, and chili flakes for garnish.
©chefalisonbiebs