Patatas Bravas

Soak and dry the potatoes

Put the potato chunks in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 20–30 minutes; this washes away excess surface starch so they fry crisp instead of gluey. Drain well and pat completely dry with a kitchen towel before frying.

• 900 g potatoes

✅ C'est prêt quand : the soaking water looks cloudy and the potatoes are dry to the touch

First fry, low and slow

Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pot to 140°C (285°F). Fry the potatoes in batches for 8–10 minutes, until they are tender when pierced but still pale, not browned. Lift them out onto a tray and let them rest while you make the sauce; this first fry cooks them through, and the second fry later is what makes them crisp.

• 900 g potatoes (from step 1)
• 1 litre sunflower oil

✅ C'est prêt quand : a knife slides in easily and the potatoes look matte and pale, not golden

Make the bravas sauce

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil and cook the onion and garlic over low heat for 5–6 minutes until soft and sweet, not browned. Stir in the flour and both paprikas and cook for 1 minute to toast them lightly, then add the bay leaf, crushed tomatoes, stock and sherry vinegar. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens slightly, then remove the bay leaf and blend the sauce smooth with a hand blender. Season with salt.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 200 ml stock
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
• to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce coats the back of a spoon and tastes smoky and rounded, not raw

Whisk the aioli

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the grated garlic and lemon juice. Combine the sunflower and olive oil in a jug, then add it in a very thin, slow stream while whisking constantly, so the sauce thickens into a smooth, glossy mayonnaise rather than splitting. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside in the fridge.

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 150 ml sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the aioli is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon

Second fry, hot and fast

Reheat the oil to 180–190°C (355–375°F). Fry the rested potatoes again, in batches, for 3–4 minutes until deep golden and crisp all over. Lift onto paper towels and salt them while they are still hot, so the salt sticks.

• 900 g potatoes (fried from step 2)
• 1 litre sunflower oil
• to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the potatoes are deep golden brown and sound crisp when tapped

Serve

Pile the hot potatoes onto a plate or into a shallow bowl. Spoon the warm bravas sauce generously over them, drizzle with aioli, and finish with a light dusting of smoked paprika. Serve right away, with cocktail sticks or small forks, and plenty of napkins.

• to serve smoked paprika