Patatas Bravas Food

PATATAS BRAVAS

Steps:

• Parboil the potatoes over a medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are starting to get tender but still hold their shape. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry until cool.
• Meanwhile, put a pan on a lowheat and start your bravas sauce. Add a lug of olive oil and, once hot, add the chopped onion and sliced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the chillies, carrot and thyme leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, sherry vinegar and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are soft and the sauce is lovely and thick.
• While your sauce simmers, put a large frying pan on a medium heat and add 0.5cm of olive oil. Cut your potatoes into large bite-sized chunks. Once the oil is hot, carefully add your potatoes to the pan. Cook them for around 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all over. You'll need to do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Add your garlic and rosemary leaves to the pan for the last minute of cooking.
• Transfer the potatoes, garlic and rosemary to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, then scatter over the paprika, fennel seeds and a good pinch of salt and toss together until well coated.
• Carefully tip your cooked sauce into a blender, or use a hand blender, and whiz until lovely and smooth. Have a taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in a jug next to your potatoes or, if youwant to be more traditional, pour the sauce over your potatoes before serving and toss together like I've done here. If you have any leftover sauce, use it with pasta or on a homemade pizza.

PATATAS BRAVAS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for about 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, sweet paprika, chilli powder, sugar and a pinch of salt, then bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 mins until pulpy. Can be kept chilled for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pat the potatoes dry with kitchen paper, then tip into a roasting tin and toss in the olive oil and some seasoning. Roast for 40-50 mins until crisp and golden. Tip the potatoes into serving dishes and spoon over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with some fresh parsley to serve.

PATATAS BRAVAS

Steps:

• Place garlic on a cutting board; sprinkle with salt. Mash garlic with flat side of knife blade, forming a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Whisk in mayonnaise, lemon juice and oil until smooth. Cover; refrigerate until serving. , For bravas sauce, in a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour and paprika until smooth; gradually stir in broth. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 6-8 minutes. , Remove from heat; cool slightly. Remove and discard bay leaf. Puree sauce using an immersion blender. Or, cool slightly and puree sauce in a blender; return to pan and heat through. Keep warm., Cut potatoes into 1-1/2-in. cubes; soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain potatoes; pat dry with paper towels. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 250°. Fry potatoes until tender, 8-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels and cool completely., Increase heat of oil to 375°. Fry potatoes again until crisp and golden brown, 3-4 minutes, turning frequently. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Serve with bravas sauce and aioli.

PATATAS BRAVAS

Steps:

• For the sherry-saffron aioli: Combine the sherry vinegar and saffron threads in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to rehydrate the saffron.
• Combine the mayonnaise, shallots, anchovy paste, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the saffron-vinegar mixture in a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
• For the spicy tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
• For the potatoes: Place two baking sheets on oven racks. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on size, to get roughly 1-inch pieces. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Carefully pour half of the potatoes onto the first baking sheet; they should sizzle as they hit the pan. Repeat with the remaining potatoes on the second baking sheet. Roast, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are tender and crispy, 40 to 45 minutes. (If some of the potatoes do not move when you stir them, do not force them; they will release from the pan when they have crisped up.) Let cool slightly.
• Spread one third of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a serving dish. Top with half of the potatoes. Spoon another third of the tomato sauce over the potatoes, and then top with the remaining potatoes and the rest of the tomato sauce. Dollop with the aioli, and sprinkle with the parsley and some paprika. Serve any extra aioli on the side.

PATATAS BRAVAS MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until soft. Stir in two-thirds of the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the paprika and cook for another minute, then stir in the tomatoes and sugar. Season to taste. Cook for 15 mins until thickened. Remove from the heat, stir through the olives and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Put the mince in a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, the rest of the garlic, the egg yolk, chilli flakes and half the parsley. Season. Mix using your hands until well combined. Divide into 12 pieces, weighing for accuracy if you like, then roll into meatballs. Cover and put in the fridge to chill while you prepare the potatoes.
• Toss the potatoes in a roasting tin with 1½ tbsp of the remaining oil and some seasoning. Roast for 40 mins until golden, tossing halfway through. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the meatballs for 5 mins, stirring until evenly browned. Add the meatballs to the tin with the potatoes and roast for 10 mins more. Reheat the tomato sauce, if needed, then spoon over the meatballs and potatoes. Top with the remaining chopped parsley and serve with some aïoli, if you like.

PATATAS BRAVAS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Heat a little oil in a pan, fry the onion, garlic and chilli until the onion softens, add the cayenne and paprika and stir. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, then cook the whole mixture down for about 20 mins until you have a thick paste. Season well and, if you prefer a smooth sauce, blitz it with a hand blender.
• Meanwhile, steam the potatoes for 10 mins and put the chorizo in a frying pan to slowly cook and release some of its oil. Tip off the excess red oil and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the potatoes and fry everything together, turning the heat up as you go so both the potatoes and chorizo brown in patches. Tip into a bowl. Season the sauce - if it isn't hot enough add a few more pinches of cayenne. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and chorizo to serve.