Crispy potatoes with brava sauce. Parboil, then fry, roast, or air-fry. The sauce is paprika, tomato, and vinegar in a small pan.
Ingredients
- 4–5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Salt
- Olive oil, for frying, baking, or air-frying
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (or 2–3 tbsp tomato sauce)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (pimentón)
- ¼ tsp hot paprika or cayenne
- ½ cup broth or water
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar (or white vinegar)
- Salt, to taste
- (optional) pinch of sugar, to balance acidity
- (optional) 2 tbsp mayo
- (optional) 1 garlic clove, grated
- (optional) squeeze of lemon
- (optional) salt, for the aioli
Equipment
- Vegetable peeler
- Knife and cutting board
- Pot
- Colander, to drain
- To crisp, one of: a skillet; a big bowl, a rubber spatula, and wire racks over sheet pans; or an air fryer
- Small pan, for the sauce
- Blender (optional), for a smooth sauce
- Small bowl and a grater, for the aioli
Method
- Put the potatoes in cold salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, until the edges soften. Drain and steam-dry a few minutes.
- Crisp the potatoes. Pan: generous olive oil on medium-high, fry until golden, 8 to 10 minutes, salt at once. Oven: season in a big bowl with three light passes of fine salt and olive oil, folded gently with a rubber spatula (see Notes). Spread on wire racks over sheet pans and roast at 425°F for 30 minutes. Air fryer: season the same way, 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking halfway.
- In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Garlic 20 to 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, smoked paprika, and hot paprika. Stir. Add broth or water and vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes until thick. Salt to taste. Blend if you want it smooth.
- Pile the potatoes. Spoon over the brava. If using aioli, mix the mayo, grated garlic, lemon, and salt, then drizzle. Eat hot.
Notes
- A bit of smoked paprika on the finished potatoes changes the plate.
- If the sauce tastes flat, a tiny splash of vinegar. If it is too acidic, a pinch of sugar.
- Best hot and crisp. Do not let them sit.
- Big-bowl seasoning: sprinkle fine salt over all the potatoes, drizzle a little olive oil, and fold with a rubber spatula; do it three times. Fold gently so the potatoes stay whole: only the salt should rough up the surface, and that gives the texture. Three passes of about ¼ tsp each made a big batch (3 huge potatoes and 3 huge sweet potatoes) savory, not too salty.
- Not tried yet: 1 minute under a high broiler at the end of the oven method should make them crunchier.
- Sweet potato version: Patatas y Batatas Bravas.