Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas is one of the most famous Spanish Tapas dishes. Roughly translated as "Bold Potatoes", the dish consists of fried cubes of potatoes, topped with a smokey spicy tomato sauce. It is also often garnished with cream or mayonnaise. I dont have a fat fryer at home, but as you can see from my recipe, you don't neccesarily need one in order to deep fry foods- you just need a large sauteeing pan. You can also cook this traditionally in a deep fat fryer/frying baskets. Either way, this recipe is sure to be a hit!

Patatas Bravas (serves 3 as a main dish, serves 6 as a tapas dish)

1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (I use red rooster potatoes)
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp Italian herb seasoning (a mixture of oregano, thyme and basil)
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar
Double cream and chopped fresh parsley to serve

1. Heat quite a lot of vegetable oil (enough to almost cover the potatoes) in a large sautéing pan (that has a lid). Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes to the pan (you will probably need to do this in batches depending on how big your pan is) and fry with the lid on for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden all over and are soft in the middle.
2. When ready, remove potatoes with a slotted spoon, onto a plate covered with kitchen towel. Cover the potatoes with another couple of pieces of kitchen towel- this helps to keep the potatoes warm, to soften them, and to get rid of most of the grease.
3. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes covered. Add the herbs, paprikas, tomatoes and seasoning, and cook for a further 5 minutes, covered. Whilst still hot, blend in a food processor. Season to taste
4. Sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes, and mix. Place in a serving dish, pour over the tomato sauce, garnish with the cream and parsley and serve.