Patatas bravas with aioli
Anyone who has ever visited Spain has surely tasted patatas bravas. The dish is a staple on the menu of any Spanish tapas bar. Every chef pretty much has their own version for preparing patatas bravas, but it always involves fried or deep-fried pieces of potato with tomato sauce. The sauce is typically not so spicy but does contain the necessary dose of garlic. The tastiest patatas bravas I ate came with a spicy tomato sauce and a dollop of aioli. Scrumptiously delicious!
Where did patatas bravas come from?
The city that claims to be at the origin of patatas bravas is Madrid. After the conquest of the Inca Empire in 1542, the Spanish brought not only gold and tobacco to Europe, but also foods such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn. Spanish soldiers were introduced to a dish in the Inca Empire that resembled patatas bravas. Initially, the cheap potatoes were not very popular in Spain. But due to poverty the nutritious root vegetable was gradually adopted as a staple in the daily diet. The combination with a spicy sauce apparently dates back to the 19th century, although there were no tomatoes in the sauce then. The red color came only from the chili powder. A patent for the slightly spicy tomato sauce was taken out in the 1960s by a Madrid restaurateur. The rest is history.
What do you serve with patatas bravas?
Patatas bravas is a tapas dish and thus stands completely on its own. It is eaten as an appetizer and can be combined with other tapas such as chorizo in red wine (button to blog), grilled padrón peppers or simply with a bowl of olives.
The big no-no's
It is absolutely worthwhile to prepare your own tasty tomato sauce. Never serve patatas bravas with spicy ketchup. That is sacrilege!
Patatas bravas are not a side dish like regular fries. So do not serve them as such with a hamburger, roast chicken or omelet. That's not to say that the combination can't be delicious.
Recipe: Patatas bravas with aioli
I grow tomatoes in my greenhouse and make my own passata every year. I also roast part of the tomatoes in the oven. This gives the passata more depth of flavor, which makes my tomato sauce super tasty.
This recipe makes tapas for 4 people.
Ingredients:
For the tomato sauce:
- ½ l passata or 1 can peeled tomatoes (400g)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ onion
- 1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera
- 1 fresh red chili pepper
- 50 ml white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- Pepper and sea salt to taste
For the aioli:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small untreated lemon
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
For the potatoes:
- 1 kg waxy to lightly starchy potatoes such as Bintje, Desiree, Bildstar or Frieslander
- 1 l oil for deep frying
- Maldon salt flakes
- Mild pimentón de la Vera for the finishing touch
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Step 1: the tomato sauce
If using peeled tomatoes, pour them into a mixing bowl and squash them with a fork.
Finely chop the garlic and onion. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and finely chop the pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and gently sauté the garlic and onion. When they are tender, add the chili pepper and pimentón de la Véra. Deglaze with the wine and reduce by half. Add the bay leaf and passata or peeled tomatoes to the pan and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Step 2: the aioli
Press the garlic cloves through a garlic press.
Grate the zest of the lemon and add it to a mixing bowl. Mix in the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk until everything is well blended. Keep whisking, while slowly and gradually you add the oil so that you get a nice emulsion. At the end, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
Place your aioli in the refrigerator.
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Step 3: the potatoes
Heat the oil to 140°C.
Cut the potatoes into wedges with the skin on. Alternatively, peel and dice the potatoes.
Gently fry the potatoes without browning.
Increase the temperature of the oil to 180°C and fry the wedges or cubes until golden and crispy. Spoon the potatoes into a bowl lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.
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Step 4: Presentation
Pour 2 tablespoons of warm tomato sauce in a serving dish. Arrange the potatoes on top and drizzle some more sauce over them. Add a dollop of aioli. Finish with Maldon salt flakes and pimentón de la Vera. Serve the rest of the tomato sauce alongside the patatas bravas.
![Patatas Bravas 1458]()
Serve charred padrón peppers with your patatas bravas for a perfect tapas night.