Patatas Bravas Recipe: The Classic Spanish Tapa

If there's one tapa every bar in Spain serves, it's patatas bravas — crisp fried potatoes under a smoky, slightly spicy salsa brava. The magic is all in the sauce, and the secret to the sauce is good pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika).

Cuisine: Spanish · Serves: 4 servings · Prep: 15m · Cook: 30m

Ingredients

• 800g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• Olive oil, for frying
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp sweet pimentón
• 1 tsp hot pimentón (optional)
• 400ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
• Aioli and salt, to serve

Method

1. Boil the potato cubes for 5 minutes, then drain well and let them steam-dry — dry potatoes crisp better.
2. Fry the potatoes in hot olive oil until deep golden and crisp. Drain on paper and season with salt.
3. For the salsa brava, gently fry the garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour and both pimentóns (off the heat, so they don't scorch and turn bitter).
4. Return to the heat and whisk in the stock and sherry vinegar. Simmer until thickened, then blend smooth if you prefer.
5. Pile the potatoes on a plate, spoon over the warm brava sauce and finish with a drizzle of aioli. Serve immediately.

Authentic pimentón de la Vera is what makes the difference here — sweet, hot, or both, shipped directly from Spain.