Cubes of potato, double-cooked until crisp, smothered in a spicy tomato and paprika sauce and a spoonful of creamy aioli. The undisputed king of every Spanish tapas bar.
Patatas bravas
Region: Madrid
Patatas bravas
Region: Madrid
Method
01
Parboil the potatoes
Boil the potato cubes for 5–6 minutes in salted water until just soft on the outside but still firm inside. Drain and leave to steam dry and cool well.
02
Make the bravas sauce
Heat the olive oil and sweat the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and tomato purée and fry for 1 minute. Add both paprikas, the tomatoes and the vinegar and leave to reduce gently for 10–15 minutes to a thick sauce. Blend smooth with a stick blender and season with salt.
03
Make the aioli
Whisk the egg yolk with the crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. Add the oil in a very thin stream, whisking, until a thick, bound mayonnaise forms. Season with lemon juice and salt.
04
Deep-fry
Heat plenty of sunflower oil to 190 °C. Deep-fry the parboiled potato cubes in batches for 4–5 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
05
Serve
Pile the hot potato cubes onto a dish, spoon the bravas sauce over the top and finish with a dollop of aioli, or serve both sauces separately so everyone can help themselves.
Tips & notes
Parboiling before frying gives a creamy inside and an extra crisp outside, just like the double frying of Belgian frites. Make the aioli with a stick blender in a tall jug if you are worried about it splitting; that almost always works. Best served immediately and crisp; store leftovers chilled and reheat them in the oven or air fryer (not the microwave) to bring back the crispness. The aioli contains raw egg yolk: use a very fresh egg, keep the aioli cold and for no longer than 2 days, and do not serve it to pregnant women, young children, the elderly or people with a weakened immune system.
Variations
- Use ready-made mayonnaise with extra garlic and lemon as a quicker alternative to homemade aioli.
- Increase the pimentón picante for a spicier bravas sauce.
Contains:
Eggs
Sulphites
Serve with
- Tortilla española (de patatas)
- Chorizo al vino tinto
| Calories | 713 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Fat | 59 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
