By David Tanis
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(1,233)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Served with spicy salsa brava and garlicky allioli, crispy hot patatas bravas are traditionally served in tapas bars throughout Spain. The salsa brava is made with pimentón, the smoked Spanish paprika sold as picante (hot) and dulce (sweet). Some cooks include a lot of chopped tomato, but my friends in Madrid tell me they prefer this version, which looks a bit like rusty gravy. As for the allioli, you can mount it by hand with a whisk, or use a stick blender as most Spaniards do. Though patatas bravas are typically pan-fried on the stovetop, I came up with this easier, oven-fried method. The potatoes emerge beautifully browned and crisped, and their flavor is sensational cooked in extra-virgin olive oil. This is not fancy fare. Grab a fork and dip the hot potatoes in both sauces for the optimal experience.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 appetizer servings
- 2pounds yellow-fleshed or russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1½-inch chunks
- Kosher salt
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 1tablespoon pimentón dulce, or use sweet paprika
- 1teaspoon pimentón picante, ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1cup chicken broth or water
- 1tablespoon sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt
- 2egg yolks
- 4garlic cloves, pounded, finely minced or grated
- 1½cups extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the Potatoes
For the Salsa Brava
For the Allioli
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
699 calories; 51 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 36 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 869 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put potato chunks in a large bowl, season generously with salt and toss to coat. Leave for a few minutes to let potatoes absorb salt. Add olive oil and unpeeled garlic cloves and toss to coat well. (Don’t skimp on the oil; it can be strained and saved after cooking for future use.)
Step
2
Transfer potatoes (and garlic cloves) and oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy roasting pan. Make sure to have potatoes in a single layer without crowding. (If necessary, use two pans.) There should be a good ½-inch oil in the bottom of the pan. Add more if required.
Step
3
Place pan in oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until potato chunks are well browned on the bottom. With a metal spatula, carefully turn chunks over. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, and continue roasting until potatoes are well browned and crisp, about another 15 to 20 minutes.
Step
4
While potatoes are roasting, make the two sauces: For the salsa brava, put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and let sizzle without browning, then stir in flour and let mixture sizzle. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón dulce and pimentón picante, then add chicken broth gradually, stirring well as the sauce thickens. Bring to a gentle simmer, add vinegar and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has a gravylike consistency, but isn't too thick. Thin with a little more broth or water, if necessary. Season with salt to taste.
Step
5
For the allioli, put egg yolks and garlic in a mortar or small bowl and whisk together. (Alternatively, use a mini food processor or stick blender, see note.) Add oil a few drops at a time, whisking vigorously with each addition. As the sauce thickens, add olive oil a teaspoon at a time. If the aioli gets too thick, whisk in 1 tablespoon water, then continue to whisk in remaining oil. The finished sauce should have the consistency of softly whipped cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step
6
When potatoes are ready, use spatula to transfer to a pan lined with paper towels to blot, then to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve warm with the two sauces.
Tip
- To make in a blender or food processor, use 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk instead of only yolks. Drizzle oil in a thin stream with motor running until the sauce thickens, which takes only a minute or so. Transfer to a small bowl, then thin with a little water and season with salt and pepper.
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1,233
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Cooking Notes
Allison
I have been making a version of these oven potatoes for several years (in fact, made them two weeks ago), but using less oil. In my method, I place a heavy pan -roasting or sheet- in the oven to heat while the oven is heating. Next, I add the cut potatoes which have been tossed with enough oil to coat to the pan. After that, the cooking method is similar to that used in the recipe. By the way, if your oven has a convection/convection roast setting, this is the perfect time to use it.
Aurelia
I live in Barcelona and haven't seen a single patata brava in months. It'll feel less like lockdown tonight with these for dinner. Here, patatas bravas are like what Margherita pizza is in Rome (my Italian friend tells me)... this simple dish showcases the quality of a chef's pantry and patience with basic, staple plates. You can find "patatas bravas" all over Spain--but the best restaurants and bars always serve them with care-- golden, not deep-fried, and with both of the sauces featured here.
Ana
Actually that is not Allioli, it's mayonaise with garlic, which is delicious too. And a lot easier to make! Allioli is only garlic and olive oil, you need to smash the garlics with the oil until you get a sauce, it's very difficult to get it right and it takes time, that's why in restaurants they use garlic mayo. Patatas bravas is a tapa (not a dish) that you normally order in bars and restaurants but we never cook at home. I'm Spanish btw ;)
Teddi
I lived in Madrid for a few years, and then later in Zaragoza. This is an authentic recipe. Anyone who puts tomato in the sauce is wrong. No one in Spain would do that. Some regions serve them with just the bravas (red) sauce, while others serve them both. The sauce is not served on the side, it is drizzled over the potatoes. So habit forming!!
Sandra
Potatoes are best if you steam them first, for about 12 minutes. Reduce roasting time to 30 minutes. They'll be fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
monika
My kids FAV potatoes recipe but par boil your taters for full amazingness. Once boiled potatoes have softened up (10 minutes or so) drain water and shake the potatoes in the pan with a lid until they get shaggy. THEN continue with recipe. Shagginess = amazing chrunchyness!!!
Jill of all trades
Hi Vjo508, I think the cloves are supposed to flavor the oil and from the oil, the potatoes. Personally, I can't explain unpeeled garlic in this recipe. When I get around to making this I'll take the whole unpeeled clove & smash it before adding to the oil to better expose it. Afterward I'll recover the garlic and spread it on good crusty bread. Yum!
Pimentón Or Paprika?
Actually, pimentón dulce and sweet paprika are exactly the same. Only the pimentón that comes from La Vera (sold as Pimentón de la Vera DOP) is smoked. The rest of the pimentón that is produced in Spain is unsmoked. You can try smoked or unsmoked pimentón in this recipe, you will archieve different results, all of them delicious (if you use our high-quality Spanish pimentón).
GregBPortland
I make these potatoes all the time. I too use less oil. I toss my potatoes in olive oil once I've peeled and cut them in a similar size to this recipe, in a bowl and dump them onto a heavy, half-sheet baking pan. These go into a 425-degree oven. After 20 minutes, I turn the potatoes with a spatula nd finish them in the oven for another 20 or so minutes. During that time they get a beautiful color. They go with everything, and on the rare chance there are leftovers, my dogs love them.
MartinLondon
Turned out great and make a wonderful side or snack. Everyone loved them. Will definitely have them again.
susan mernit
I tossed the potatoes and the garlic with the olive oil and the garlic right in the skillets. A+
Mary
In my method, I place a heavy pan -roasting or sheet- in the oven to heat while the oven is heating. Next, I add the cut potatoes which have been tossed with enough oil to coat to the pan. After that, the cooking method is similar to that used in the recipe. By the way, if your oven has a convection/convection roast setting, this is the perfect time to use it.
Vienna Girl
I always boil potato chunks until soft before roasting. Fluffy inside; crunchy outside.
B berman
um, so if you made the salsa with chiles and the aioli with garlic, it's def not ketchup and mayo. the sauce should be spicy and the aioli should be very garlicky. If you don't taste that you didn't do it right...
Jay
I almost had a meltdown making this recipe. The potatoes took forever (and I even parboiled them), used an insane amount of oil, and it would have been a nice touch to put the blender tip into the recipe instead of on the bottom. I screwed up the mayo, tried to salvage it, tried to make it with store bought mayo as a base, and then nearly chucked the blender out the window and just used Hellman’s to serve. My kitchen looked like a bomb went off. Now I know why in Spain, no one makes this at home
patience
Air frying helps a LOT with crisp ones
ellen
this is a fantastic way to make potatoes! I just don't bother with the sauces.
Luke
Pay attention to how much salt you’re passively putting into the spicy sauce. I ended up on the not-enough-salt side (thankfully), and ended up putting somewhere short of 1 teaspoon’s worth of “another pinch of salt” in until the sauce tasted right. But eventually it came together. It’s not Madrid, but the flavor is close enough…and gets closer if you’re drinking sangria!
Kate
The allioli is so garlicky it’s sadly inedible. It’s a lovely creamy yellow and the texture is spot on. Desperately trying to think of how to repurpose it…
Dave
For the aioli: Replace most of the olive oil with canola oil if using an electric mixer, otherwise you run the risk of creating bitter compounds that make it virtually inedible
Phil Suarez
As a Spaniard, spot on but IMO you can skip allioli and not suffer. The rest is a nostalgic trip home..... as with any potato dish, use some high grade yellow potatoes, there is a difference.
Virginia
Made this las† night and it came great, except for the garlic aioli- for some reason, it did not emulsify in my food processor like it normally does! After this aioli failed, I used another NYT for the garlic aioli instead: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017662-aioli
Natalie
I followed the recipe as directed while using our stoves convection oven. potatoes were perfectly golden and crispy on the outside. I sprinkled sumac and sea salt to serve. These are a perfect staple!
AJRad
Fell in love with this dish when I visited Spain, and this was every bit as delicious! Lots of allioli left over. Does anyone have ideas for using the leftover sauce? Can it be heated into a sauce?
jimpa
Garlic flavors potatoes even if not peeled, but, have had cloves explode in oven if not slightly crushed
Lela
Any thoughts on what to do with extra sauce?
Mary
Par boil potatoes 10-12 minutes.
Lizzie
This salsa bravas was AMAZING. The aioli, not so much, but I chuck that up to user error. Folks, make sure to pull out that high quality EVOO for this.
JB
This is taking a lot longer than 20 min to brown. Not enough preheat?? Not sure why but willing to wait..
Lloyd
Merged with the recipe from el cocinista of el país. Especially review the aioli recipe from there.
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