Spanish Patatas Bravas: Crispy Potatoes with Smoky Tomato Sauce for After-School Snacking

Put the potato cubes in a pot of cold water with the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook 6 minutes until just tender at the edges but still firm in the middle. Drain well and let them steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for the boiling water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika or cayenne
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, grated, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, for the aioli
• Flaky salt and chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. Put the potato cubes in a pot of cold water with the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook 6 minutes until just tender at the edges but still firm in the middle. Drain well and let them steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Toss the potatoes on a sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, spread in a single layer and roast 30 to 35 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp.
3. While the potatoes roast, make the bravas sauce. Warm the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and both paprikas and stir 30 seconds.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Add the crushed tomatoes and broth, bring to a simmer and cook 8 minutes until thickened. Stir in the sherry vinegar and season with salt.
5. Blend the sauce smooth with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, then return it to the pan and keep warm.
6. Stir together the mayonnaise, grated garlic and lemon juice for a quick aioli.
7. Pile the hot potatoes on a platter, spoon the bravas sauce over, zigzag the aioli on top and finish with flaky salt and parsley. Serve with toothpicks. Both sauces keep 5 days in the fridge, so the next batch is only a tray of potatoes away.
8. Patatas bravas is the tapa that anchors nearly every bar in Madrid, where the sauce is a matter of fierce local pride: some places lean on paprika and stock, others sneak in tomato, and nobody agrees which is correct. The name means fierce potatoes, a nod to the heat that should prickle without overwhelming. Traditionally the potatoes are twice-fried, but a hard roast after a quick parboil gives the same shattering crust with far less oil and attention, which makes it a realistic after-school snack that a hungry teenager can pull together while the homework waits.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 390 kcal
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 620mg