Patatas Bravas

Tags: #appetizer #spanish #tapas #vegetarian Serving: 4 servings Total time: 60 minutes

Crisp double-fried potato cubes with a smoky, spicy brava sauce and optional garlic mayo—an essential Spanish tapas classic.

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 800 g starchy potatoes, peeled
• 2000 ml water
• 10 ml white vinegar
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 1200 ml neutral frying oil (sunflower or peanut)
• 4 g fine sea salt (finishing)
• 4 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Brava sauce

• 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 g garlic, finely minced
• 20 g all-purpose flour
• 8 g sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 3 g hot smoked paprika (pimentón picante)
• 400 ml vegetable stock
• 15 ml sherry vinegar
• 6 g fine sea salt

Garlic mayo (optional)

• 100 g mayonnaise
• 10 g lemon juice
• 8 g garlic, finely grated
• 10 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 g fine sea salt

Steps

Prepare the potatoes

1. Rinse the potatoes under cold water.
2. Peel the potatoes.
3. Cut the potatoes into 3 cm cubes.
4. Rinse the potato cubes under cold water.
5. Pour the water into a large pot.
6. Add the 10 g salt to the pot.
7. Add the vinegar to the pot.
8. Bring the water to a boil.
9. Add the potato cubes to the boiling water.
10. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
11. Cook the potatoes until the edges yield to a knife, about 6–8 minutes.
12. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
13. Spread the potatoes on a rimmed tray.
14. Let the potatoes steam-dry for 10 minutes.
15. Shake the tray to roughen the potato edges.

Make the brava sauce

16. Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan.
17. Heat the oil over medium heat.
18. Add the garlic to the saucepan.
19. Stir the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
20. Add the flour to the saucepan.
21. Stir the flour to form a smooth paste.
22. Cook the paste until pale blond, about 2 minutes.
23. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
24. Add the sweet paprika to the saucepan.
25. Add the hot paprika to the saucepan.
26. Stir the spices to bloom in the warm fat.
27. Pour in the vegetable stock.
28. Whisk the sauce until smooth.
29. Return the saucepan to medium heat.
30. Simmer the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, 8–10 minutes.
31. Add the sherry vinegar to the sauce.
32. Add the 6 g salt to the sauce.
33. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender until silky.
34. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

Make the garlic mayo (optional)

35. Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl.
36. Add the lemon juice to the bowl.
37. Add the garlic to the bowl.
38. Add the olive oil to the bowl.
39. Add the 1 g salt to the bowl.
40. Stir the mixture until smooth.
41. Refrigerate the garlic mayo.

Fry and finish

42. Pour the neutral frying oil into a deep, heavy pot.
43. Clip a thermometer to the pot.
44. Heat the oil to 160°C.
45. Fry half of the potatoes until tender and pale, 6–8 minutes.
46. Transfer the potatoes to a wire rack.
47. Fry the remaining potatoes until tender and pale.
48. Raise the oil temperature to 190°C.
49. Fry the first batch until deep golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes.
50. Transfer the potatoes to a wire rack.
51. Fry the second batch until deep golden and crisp.
52. Sprinkle the potatoes with the 4 g finishing salt.
53. Spoon the warm brava sauce over the potatoes.
54. Drizzle the garlic mayo over the potatoes (optional).
55. Sprinkle the potatoes with the chopped parsley.

Notes

• Sauce style: Madrid-style brava sauce builds flavor from pimentón and a light roux rather than tomatoes; adjust hot paprika to taste.
• Oil management: Bloom paprika off the heat to avoid bitterness; keep oil temps precise for maximum crispness.
• Make-ahead: Sauce keeps 3 days refrigerated; rewarm gently. Parboiled potatoes can air-dry on a tray in the fridge up to 24 hours.
• Alternative cooking: For oven-finished potatoes, toss dried cubes with 30 ml oil and roast at 230°C on a preheated tray until crisp, then sauce.