Healthier Patatas Bravas

The popularity of patatas bravas has been both a blessing and a curse.

Blessing: As Spain's most iconic tapa, you find versions of this dish in practically every establishment that serves food throughout the country.

Curse:  A lot of places do not do them well.  Most bars don't cook the potatoes twice, or use frozen pre-cut pieces.  However, more often than not, the real culprit behind an abhorrent experience with this famous little plate is bravas sauce from a jar.

Solution:  Make this cheap, simple, and easy dish at home.

Patatas bravas are a small dish served all throughout Spain, however, there are two main styles for the sauce.  Around Madrid and the south of Spain one would likely find the bravas sauce to be tomato based with the typical (sherry) vinegar and red pepper, while in the eastern portion of the country (around Catalunya and Valencia), it is more likely to find a mayonnaise based sauce with garlic, vinegar, and red pepper.  I much prefer the mayo based variety (when done well), so that's how I'll be presenting mine.

Another option for presentation

Additionally, for my take on patatas bravas, I wanted to do a version that wasn't deep fried, but still had all the great features of the traditional dish (crunchy outside, creamy inside).  In order to do this, the potatoes have to be cooked twice, just like a proper french fry.  After cutting your potatoes into pieces, they'll take a quick bath in boiling water to par cook the interior, as well as draw out the starch to the exterior to crisp up in a skillet or saute pan.

When done well, this simple and rustic plate of food is a truly sublime pleasure and one of my favorite things to eat.  I know you'll like it.



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Ingredients:

Patatas

2 starchy potatoes (Russet, Yukon Gold, etc)
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 or 2 sprigs rosemary
enough olive oil to brush potatoes
dash of garlic powder
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Bravas Sauce (makes 1/2 cup)

6 T homemade mayo
2 T homemade sriracha *
smoked paprika to taste (probably ~2 tsp)

*  Why sriracha?  My homemade sriracha is a mixture of hot red peppers, garlic, and vinegar.  When mixed with the mayo and smoked paprika it contains all the ingredients of a typical mayo based bravas sauce.

Need metric?

2, 4 oz servings	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)
Total:	289	5	40	14	960	2
Per Serving:	145	3	20	7	480	1

Bravas Sauce	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)
1Tbs	62	0	0	7	24	0

1.  Combine mayo, sriracha, and paprika until you have a taste you like.  The sauce should be smoky and spicy, but also refreshing.  Set aside.
2.  Cut the ends off of the potatoes, and then cut the peel off with your knife so you have a circular shape (or irregular shapes if you plan on deep frying).  Segment the potato so you have scallop-shaped pieces that are 3/5" or 1.5 cm tall.
3.  Add potatoes to a pot with garlic and rosemary.  Cover with water and add a big pinch of salt.  Bring water to a boil.  Once water has been boiling for five minutes, drain the water and pat potatoes completely dry.
4.  Heat just enough olive oil (not extra virgin, that will burn) to cover the bottom of a skillet or heavy duty pan (350-375° F is ideal).  Brush potatoes with a little bit of olive oil.  Season both sides with salt, black pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. 
5.  Add potatoes to hot oil and let cook for about 5 minutes a side, or until golden brown and crispy.  Drain on a paper towel and add a little bit of extra salt to finish.  You can put the bravas sauce below, above, or covering your potato pieces.  Sprinkling a little bit of extra smoked paprika over the potatoes and sauce is also a nice touch. 

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