Patatas Bravas with spicy paprika sauce

The amount of patatas bravas I eat in Barcelona gets pretty disgusting. On my last trip this climaxed after visiting the outstanding Inopia . Their spicy sauce covered roast potatoes were the finest by a long shot. It was the quality and cut of the potato that made them so – golden, thin, discs of crunchy, salted, roast potato; soft and fluffy inside.


Patatas bravas can quite easily be depressing, there have been many times when I've been faced with a bowl of miniature roast potatoes with watery tomato puree on top. Anyhow, these are far from it and are my homage to that dish at Inopia. The potatoes hold the best disc shape if part-boiled relatively whole and then sliced before roasting in the oven.

The list of ingredients for the sauce if pretty flexible, mix the quantities to your own preference. You want to end up with a tangy orange coloured sauce with a thick rich consistency. I taste as I go and the quantities can change regularly.

For the potatoes:
3 large maris piper potatoes
100ml rapeseed oil (or olive oil)
Sea Salt

For the sauce:
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp of chopped fresh herbs such as oregano or thyme
2 tbsp mayonnaise
5 tbsp of good quality tomato sauce (like ketchup)
1 tsp sherry, such as Manzanilla (or good quality sherry vinegar)
2 tsps paprika
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp Tabasco
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp luke warm water
Sea salt and black paper

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil on the hob and pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Add 100-150ml rapeseed or olive oil to a high sided baking tray and place in the oven to heat up.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them in half. Place in the boiling water for 4 minutes to part boil them.
3. Drain and cool. When cool slice the potatoes into half a centimeter thick discs.
4. Add the potatoes to the hot oil in the oven, turn so they are sufficiently coated, and season with a few pinches of sea-salt. Cook for approximately 35 minutes, turning half way through, until they are crisp and golden.
5. Whilst they are cooking make the sauce. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic and shred the thyme leaves. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the small pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, shallots and thyme. Cook for 3 minutes until soft and remove to cool.
6. Mix all the remaining sauce ingredients together and add the cooled shallots, garlic, and thyme. Taste and adjust to your preference.
7. When the potatoes are a golden colour remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Lay out on a flat serving plate and dollop the paprika sauce all over the top.