Patatas Bravas
Chapter 3: Hot Tapas
If you’ve ever sat in the buzzy, candlelit dining room of a great American tapas bar, you know the exact moment the patatas bravas hit the table. It is the undisputed anchor of the grazing menu: impossibly crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, blanketed in a smoky red sauce and cooled by a punchy, stark-white garlic alioli. Forget the frantic double-frying of a commercial line; we rely on a smart prep secret to get that glass-like crust while you pour the Albariño. And whatever you do, respect the pantry—if you attempt this without genuine oak-smoked Pimentón de la Vera, you are missing the point entirely.
Before you start
Boil the potatoes in alkaline water.
In a large pot, bring two quarts of water to a rolling boil with the one tablespoon of kosher salt and the baking soda, then drop in the potatoes. The baking soda alkalizes the water, rapidly breaking down the potato exteriors to create a starchy paste that will eventually form the crust. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes until a knife meets little resistance.
Chuff and chill the potatoes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander, let the steam escape for two minutes, and then shake vigorously to smash the edges before chilling them overnight on a wire rack. The dry air of the refrigerator pulls out excess moisture and solidifies the starchy paste. You can leave them uncovered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Build the brava sauce.
Sauté the diced onion in three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until translucent, add the minced garlic, and then remove from the heat to bloom the pimentón. Stir the sweet and hot paprika off the heat for exactly 30 seconds so it releases its essential oils without burning and turning bitter.
Simmer and blend the red sauce.
Return to the heat, cook the tomato paste for a minute, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, sherry vinegar, sugar, and bay leaf. Simmer for 20 minutes to reduce and meld the flavors, remove the bay leaf, and puree with an immersion blender until silky smooth before refrigerating.
Emulsify the alioli.
Place the chopped garlic, egg, lemon juice, and half-teaspoon of salt in a tall jar, pour the neutral and olive oils directly over the top, and blitz with an immersion blender. Keep the blender pinned to the bottom over the egg for 10 seconds until the white emulsion forms, then slowly tilt and pull it upward to draw the rest of the oil down.
Ingredients
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes2 1/2 lb
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- baking soda1/2 tsp
- Spanish extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- flaky sea salt1 pinch
- Spanish extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- yellow onion1 med
- garlic3 med clove
- Pimentón de la Vera Dulce1 tbsp
- Pimentón de la Vera Picante1 tsp
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- crushed tomatoes14 1/2 oz
- sherry vinegar1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- bay leaf1 large
- kosher salt1 pinch
- garlic2 large clove
- egg1 large
- fresh lemon juice1 tbsp
- neutral oil1/2 cup
- Spanish extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven and the baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 450°F, ideally on the convection setting if you have it, and place a heavy-duty baking sheet inside to get blazing hot.
- 02
Roast the potatoes.
Toss the chilled potatoes thoroughly with a quarter-cup of olive oil or duck fat, dump them onto the hot baking sheet to sizzle, and spread them into an even layer. Roast for 15 minutes, unstick and flip them with a thin metal spatula, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes until that starchy coating shatters.
- 03
Plate with precision.
Transfer the hot potatoes to a wide terracotta cazuela, hit them with flaky sea salt, and blanket them with the warm brava sauce and dollops of alioli. Serve immediately while the crust is intact, right alongside the rest of your tapas spread.
Notes
Respect the pimentón.
Do not substitute generic grocery store paprika in the brava sauce. Pimentón de la Vera is a D.O.P. certified Spanish pepper smoke-dried over oak fires for two weeks, and it is the sole reason the sauce tastes authentic.
The sherry vinegar matters.
Vinagre de Jerez provides the necessary woody, complex acid to cut through the fried potatoes. If it is absolutely unavailable, a high-quality red wine vinegar will work in a pinch, but never use balsamic or standard white vinegar here.