Spanish Patatas Bravas

A fiery roasted sauce on the base. Crispy patatas. Lemon aioli. Need I say more?? I had these for the first time on a trip to Barcelona and have been making them ever since. I have since (in my opinion) perfected these – so I highly recommend giving these a try!

The key here is the ROASTED Salsa Bravas where I roast fresh local BC tomatoes, red pepper and wait for it… hot pickled banana peppers! This creates a delicious subtle heat that you’ll want to eat all on it’s own. Since you’re roasting your potatoes anyways, you might as well roast your sauce!! Since I make this recipe in the summertime too, it’s a great one to throw on the grill. I use the same technique with two pans grilling at the same time.

Recipe for Spanish Patatas Bravas

Ingredients:

• For the Patatas:
• 3lbs BC baby potatoes, parboiled (my favourite variety to use is Warba potatoes when I can!)
• Seasoning salt and cracked pepper to taste
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil (for cooking)
• For the Salsa Bravas:
• 1 lb fresh BC tomatoes (any variety will work, but get your hands on some local gems if you can)
• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and quartered
• 1/2 cup hot pickled banana peppers
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil (for cooking)
• For the Lemon Aioli:
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and parboil the potatoes until just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain then set aside.
3. Prepare two separate sheet pans with parchment or foil and drizzle with olive oil. To the larger sheet, arrange the potatoes then use the back of a spatula to gently press them down until they smash into a pacman looking thing. Not too hard or you will crush them too much. Drizzle them with olive oil, paprika, seasoning salt and pepper.
4. To another baking sheet, add the tomatoes, quartered pepper, banana peppers, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Place both sheets in the preheated oven (I recommend potatoes on the lower rack) for about 25 minutes, flipping the contents of both sheets halfway. Cook the potatoes until crispy on both sides and the salsa bravas until nice and roasted (the skin of the tomatoes and pepper should be blistered).
6. Remove from the oven and place the contents of the salsa into a food processor or blender (including all the juices). Season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
7. Spoon some salsa into the centre of the place and arrange the potatoes. Drizzle with aioli and enjoy!