Patatas bravas with chorizo

If you spend a lot of time with a fridge door open looking for answers, the answer may be potatoes!

You know, how scientists discover that some food is harmful to you, because *&^^%$^&… And then almost in parallel, some other scientists discover that same food is *%^^% amazing, prevents cancer and other life’s misfortunes. Although I still read about all those “discoveries”, I try to go with my instincts and eat everything I want in moderation. Potatoes included.

Patatas bravas (also called patatas a la brava or papas bravas) is a Spanish native dish, often served as a tapa. It typically consists of potatoes that have been cut into irregular shapes of about 2 centimeters, then fried in oil and served warm with a sauce such as a spicy tomato sauce or an aioli. This dish is commonly served in restaurants and bars throughout Spain. The dish can frequently be ordered with a number of extra toppings, the most popular of which include chorizo, chistorra, chicken and fried fish.

This dish is absolutely easy to make. You only need a few ingredients and it will be done in (almost) no time at all. Baby potatoes may be substituted with any kind of potatoes that you love or have in your pantry. When I buy chorizo, I usually get it at a specialty store. This time, since I was in a hurry, I bought chorizo at a regular grocery store and it worked as fine as authentic Spanish.

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes
Chorizo
Garlic
Chili
Fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Smoked (mild or spicy) paprika
Salt’n’pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water until they soften but are not yet fully cooked. Drain.

Fry chopped garlic and sliced chilli in a bit of oil in a frying pan until garlic softens, add sliced chorizo and fry till browning on a medium heat. Add diced potatoes, sprinkle some smoked paprika, add fresh rosemary and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional – mix all ingredients together and shove it in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

If you are not up for a spicy dish, skip the chilli.

Et voila! The dish is ready. The combination of rosemary, smoked paprika and lightly smoked chorizo is heavenly! Serve and enjoy!