Patatas bravas.

This is a traditional potato recipe that has numerous ways of making it and no matter who you ask they make the best. The potato should be crisp on the out side and still firm in the middle. The tomato sauce rich and full of flavour with hot pimentón.

You will need,

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled, and cut into 2cm (1in) inch cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g (1lb) good tomatoes
3 tsp Pimentón (paprika)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp tomato puree
2 or 3 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Olive oil

Peel and cut the potatoes in to cubes.get themin a sauce pan and bring them to the boil then get them in to cold water to stop them cooking any more. Then get them in to a frying pan of hot oil and brown them so they are crisp on the out side. Do not worry about cooking them all the way through, as you will be refrying them before you finish the dish. Cook just a few at a time to give them a chance to fry and not just boil in the oil. Once cooked pop out on a piece of kitchen roll to take up the excess oil.

While you are frying you can make your sauce. Skin your tomatoes and deseed them then chop them up. Now add your onions and garlic to a saucepan with some oil and cook them till they have stated to go soft.

Add your cayenne pepper and you pimentón along with the thyme and tomato puree. Let this all fry for a while releasing the flavours of the spices then add the tomatoes to the pan and the red wine vinegar and let this all cook on a slow low heat. Season at the end with salt and pepper

Now in fresh oil refry your potato, this will make the outsides even crispier than before. Once they are hot place in a dish take your sauce and spoon that over the top and sprinkle a good hand full of fresh chopped parsley over the top.

I am told you can tell the quality of a food by sampling their Patatas Bravas in a tapas bar.