There are dishes that transcend the borders of their native country and travel through the menus to distant latitudes.
Potatoes or patatas bravas
are a clear example
.
A preparation that in Spain is a classic as an appetizer and a must for tapas.
There is no bar that does not have a plate of potatoes dipped in hot sauce.
They pair perfectly with a caña (that's what they call beer in Spain) and also with a good red wine.
Although, in reality, the patatas bravas combine with the drink that is chosen depending on whether it is a tapa, appetizer or as a garnish for some meat.
It is one of the cheapest and most sold tapas.
Apparently
the recipe for patatas bravas arose in the center of Madrid in the 1950s.
"They say that in 1960 there were queues in some taverns where they were served and, to this day, they continue to be an emblematic dish of the capital", says Borja Blázquez, renowned chef from San Sebastián.
Tips for making authentic potatoes or patatas bravas
Papas bravas, one of the most popular Spanish tapas.
Photo: Unsplash.
French fries are delicious, but to achieve perfection you don't have to rush them.
Quite the opposite.
To get a potato that is crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, two cooking times are required.
“The first cooking is at 120° (low).
Then, they are removed, the oil is heated to 170° (medium) where they are fried again until golden brown”, explains Borja.
The cook also points out that another fundamental point for success is to choose a potato rich in starches.
The ideal potato is what in Argentina we know as black potato
, while in Spain they call it dirty potato.
“It has more starch, it is crispier and it does not absorb as much oil, which is why it is the best for frying”, adds chef Alex Rojas, who has worked for many years in the kitchens of important hotels in Spain.
This chef adds that he really likes to go out for tapas and clearly distinguishes the preparations that use white potatoes since they have a lot of water and when fried they are more brownish and the flavor is sweeter.
The black potato is ideal for making patatas bravas.
Photo: Unsplash
The format in which the tuber is presented is also important.
Once peeled
, they are cut into cubes or broken with a knife into irregular pieces of no less than 3x3 cm.
"Cracking the potatoes consists of cutting them to obtain irregular sections, usually done with a professional knife," says Gastón Caretti, Gastronomic Director of the Sottovoce Group.
"They are made by taking the potato by hand, making a cut and making a quarter turn with the knife inwards, the piece of potato is literally torn off, thus creating that characteristic irregular surface", explains the cook.
The sauce is responsible for turning the potatoes into papas bravas
and that is due to the spiciness it provides.
It is a red sauce, very spicy.
Spicy potatos.
Photo: Shutterstock
The "brava" sauce has several formats and recipes.
Borja says that there are those who use tomato sauce mixed with paprika or Tabasco, but the lightness of the sauce can be a problem since its moisture removes the crunchy texture of the potatoes.
"It is for this reason that many prefer to make the brava sauce by mixing mayonnaise with tomato sauce or in my case, I prepare the brava sauce with
homemade mayonnaise, a touch of Tabasco and the main spice used is cayenne pepper or peperoncino
," he points out. the chef of San Sebastian.
For his part, Rojas points out that
a good brava sauce is made with a base of fried onion and garlic
, cooked at a low temperature until the onion is almost brown.
At that time, add crushed natural tomato and cook until reduced, over low heat for several hours.
When the sauce is ready, the desired spiciness is added
: in Spain chilli pepper and La Vera paprika powder, but it can be rocoto or chipotle chile in marinade (it is spicy and a touch smoky).
Spicy: a key ingredient in papas bravas.
Photos: Unsplash.
Every cook and every family has their recipe for this controversial sauce.
"Traditionally, opinion has been divided between those who say that the brava sauce owes its red color to the tomato and those who, on the contrary, bet that the paprika is the cause of this hue," adds Caretti.
In his case, he prefers to add the chilli at the time of the frying together with the leafless herbs and then add the diced tomatoes.
The process is finished by blending the sauce.
The truth is that
the inevitable ingredient in papas bravas is spicy, which should not be confused with aioli.
The latter is an addition that palates appreciate as it is a delicious combination, but don't be surprised if you order papas bravas and they are served only with hot sauce and no aioli.
"In Madrid and Catalonia they are served with alioli," says Rojas.
What is aioli and how is it prepared?
Very Spanish potatoes with aioli.
Photo: Shiba
Alioli, as its name indicates, is the union of garlic and oil.
In the traditional recipe the egg does not participate.
It is a stable emulsion (meaning that it does not separate) that is made in a mortar by crushing the garlic cloves (raw or roasted) while adding olive oil in the form of a thread to form a garlic cream.
It is a laborious preparation since it is done by hand.
Best known is its version with egg, which is not really aioli but a garlic mayonnaise.
In this case, pasteurized egg is used and processed together with a clove of garlic, salt, pepper and emulsified with a thread of oil that can be olive or whatever you want.
There is also the garlic lactonesa which is neither more nor less than a mayonnaise without eggs but with milk.
Alioli, an emulsion of garlic and olive oil.
Photo: Shutterstock
Other ways to make patatas bravas
We already learned that the traditional way is to fry the potatoes, but it is not the only way in which this dish can be prepared.
Offering boiled potatoes with hot sauce could be one way, though it misses the crunch and isn't as appealing.
The oven can be a good ally.
If it is cooked whole with a little water on the tray, an ideal steam effect is generated for the first cooking
.
Then, the deep frying of rigor, so that it leaves them very crispy and golden.
Spicy potatoes.
Photo: Shutterstock.
Rojas comments that
modern haute cuisine reverts to this
traditional tapa in the following way: the potatoes are laminated and placed on a plate forming a layer of potatoes, salt, oil and this procedure is repeated until the height of the mold is complete.
Bake at 180°, for approximately 50 minutes depending on the size of the source in question.
It cools for 8 hours and then it is unmolded.
This potato block is cut to the desired size and shape, either "sticks" (sticks) or dice and then fried at the time of serving.
“It looks different and more elegant,” she says.
Tips for making authentic potatoes or patatas bravas
Always pay attention to the chosen potato.
One with a lot of starch is recommended.
It must have
two firings
: one that cooks and another that browns.
The spicy sauce:
I chose a very rich tomato sauce and add the spiciness that you like.
Pepperoncino, rocoto, tabasco... The aioli: it is wonderful.
Feel free to add it to the potatoes.
Apart from flavor, it adds color.
Bravas potatoes from El Burladero.
We leave you recipes for you to choose the one you like the most.
Recipes to make bravas potatoes
Bravas potatoes recipe
Spicy potatoes.
Look at the step by step of the recipe for bravas potatoes
brava sauce recipe
Look at the step by step of the brava sauce recipe
aioli recipe
Look at the step by step of the aioli recipe
look also
Homemade hummus: 10 recipes and tips to make it creamy
Stuffed, canned and roasted bell pepper: the best recipes to take advantage of it cheaper than in winter
