Patatas Bravas

Ingredients

• Potatoes · about 600g4
• Olive oil · for roasting/frying, generous4 tbsp
• Salt1 tsp
• Brava sauce
• Olive oil2 tbsp
• Minced garlic2 cloves
• Flour1 tbsp
• Paprika · pimenton, smoked is better1 tbsp
• Cayenne pepper · for heat0.5 tsp
• Tomato paste1 tbsp
• Vegetable stock · or water1 cup
• Salt · to taste
• Aioli (optional)
• Mayonnaise0.5 cup
• Minced garlic1 clove
• Lemon juice1 tsp

Steps

1. Peel the potatoes, cut into 2-3cm cubes, rinse in cold water to remove starch, and pat dry.

   ⏲ 5 min

2. Toss with olive oil and salt, then roast at 200C (oven or air fryer) until crisp outside and tender within, or deep-fry.

   ⏲ 25 min

3. Brava sauce: fry the garlic in olive oil, then add the flour, paprika, and cayenne and cook 30 seconds.

   ⏲ 1 min 30 sec

4. Stir in the tomato paste and stock, simmer until thickened, and season with salt.

   ⏲ 5 min

5. Make the aioli by mixing the mayonnaise with garlic and lemon juice.

   ⏲ 1 min

6. Pile the potatoes on a plate and drizzle with the brava sauce and aioli in zigzags.

   ⏲ 1 min

7. Dust with a little more paprika and serve hot.

Tips & Variations

The basics behind this dish

• Blanching: Keeping Vegetables GreenBlanched vegetables go dull because of acid and heat. Why the pot should be large, why the lid stays off, and what the ice bath is really for.
• Salt: When You Add It Matters More Than How MuchThe same amount of salt either draws water out or seasons all the way through, depending on when it goes in. Osmosis, seasoning in layers, and why salt types are not interchangeable by volume.
• Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.