Patatas bravas with a paprika-only, Madrid-style sauce and a lemon aioli. I boil the potatoes before frying them, which gives them rough, crispy edges. Crispy potatoes, a punchy paprika sauce and a creamy, zesty aioli make it a brilliant tapas dish to share.
Ingredients
- For the potatoes
- 1000 g Maris Piper potatoes
- Fine sea salt, for the cooking water, salty as the sea
- 1.5 L Neutral deep frying oil
- Fine sea salt, to finish
- For the bravas sauce
- 3 tbsp (40.5g) Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1.5 tbsp (12g) Plain flour
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Hot smoked paprika
- 250 ml Chicken stock
- 1 tbsp (15g) Sherry vinegar
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- For the lemon aioli
- 1 Eggs, yolk only
- 0.5 Garlic cloves, minced
- 20 g Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 Lemon zest
- 150 g Neutral oil
- 25 g Extra virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt, to taste
Equipment
- Deep fryer or large deep saucepan
- Oil thermometer
- Blender or stick blender
- Hand mixer
Cut the potatoes into large cubes. Place in a large saucepan of cold water, seasoned until it tastes salty as the sea, and bring to the boil. Cook until half done and the edges are just starting to fluff and break down.
Drain the potatoes and leave them to steam dry for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and gently toss to ruffle the edges further.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not coloured. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in both paprikas and cook for 10 seconds.
Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the sherry vinegar and season with salt to taste.
Add the egg yolk, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few grinds of salt to a food processor. Mix until combined.
While mixing constantly, slowly pour in the neutral oil and olive oil in a thin stream, making sure each addition is fully emulsified before adding more. Continue until all the oil has been incorporated and the mixture is thick and glossy. Taste and season — the salt can take a minute to dissolve fully, so wait, stir, and taste again before adding more.
Heat the neutral oil in a deep fryer or dutch oven to 170°C. Fry the potatoes in batches until deeply golden and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately toss with fine sea salt while still hot.
Portion the fried potatoes into serving dishes. Spoon the bravas sauce generously over the top and dot or drizzle with the lemon aioli. Finish with a scattering of flaky sea salt and a light dusting of extra smoked paprika.
Notes & Substitutions
Potatoes: Maris Piper is the right choice here. A floury potato that fluffs at the edges when boiled and crisps well when fried. Waxy potatoes won’t break down the same way and will fry to a harder, less shattering crust.
Bravas sauce: Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well. Worth doubling the batch if you make bravas regularly.
Lemon aioli: Best made fresh. If the raw garlic is too sharp straight after making, let it sit in the fridge for an hour before serving.
You might also like
Patatas Bravas
COOKED
PROPERLY
Ingredients
- 1000 g Maris Piper potatoes
- Fine sea salt (for the cooking water, salty as the sea)
- 1.5 L Neutral deep frying oil
- Fine sea salt (to finish)
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves (finely grated)
- 1.5 tbsp Plain flour
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Hot smoked paprika
- 250 ml Chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- Fine sea salt (to taste)
- 1 Eggs (yolk only)
- 0.5 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 20 g Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 Lemon zest
- 150 g Neutral oil
- 25 g Extra virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt (to taste)
Equipment
- Deep fryer or large deep saucepan
- Oil thermometer
- Blender or stick blender
- Hand mixer
Method
Boil the potatoes
1000 g Maris Piper potatoes · Fine sea salt
Cut the potatoes into large cubes. Place in a large saucepan of cold water, seasoned until it tastes salty as the sea, and bring to the boil. Cook until half done and the edges are just starting to fluff and break down.
Steam dry and ruffle
Drain the potatoes and leave them to steam dry for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and gently toss to ruffle the edges further.
Make the bravas sauce
3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil · 2 Garlic cloves · 1.5 tbsp Plain flour · 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika · 1 tsp Hot smoked paprika · 250 ml Chicken stock · 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar · Fine sea salt
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not coloured. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in both paprikas and cook for 10 seconds.
Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the sherry vinegar and season with salt to taste.
Make the lemon aioli
1 Eggs · 0.5 Garlic cloves · 20 g Fresh lemon juice · 0.5 Lemon zest · 150 g Neutral oil · 25 g Extra virgin olive oil · Fine sea salt
Add the egg yolk, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few grinds of salt to a food processor. Mix until combined.
While mixing constantly, slowly pour in the neutral oil and olive oil in a thin stream, making sure each addition is fully emulsified before adding more. Continue until all the oil has been incorporated and the mixture is thick and glossy. Taste and season — the salt can take a minute to dissolve fully, so wait, stir, and taste again before adding more.
Fry the potatoes
Fine sea salt
Heat the neutral oil in a deep fryer or dutch oven to 170°C. Fry the potatoes in batches until deeply golden and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately toss with fine sea salt while still hot.
Fry in batches even if it takes longer. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature sharply, and the potatoes steam rather than crisping.
Assemble and serve
Portion the fried potatoes into serving dishes. Spoon the bravas sauce generously over the top and dot or drizzle with the lemon aioli. Finish with a scattering of flaky sea salt and a light dusting of extra smoked paprika.
SCAN TO OPEN
Good food, cooked properly.
Proper recipes, intelligent planning, one shopping list.
cookedproperly.com
Free guide: How to Cook Properly
How to Cook Properly — the 11 principles that turn average into outstanding
Equipment worth having
The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
Shape what comes next
Got a recipe you'd love to see, or an idea to make the site better? We read every suggestion.
Log in to suggest
