Tapas are a classic Spanish style of eating that has become very popular throughout the world. Tapas are ‘little dishes’ that are typically eaten along with chilled fino sherry, Rioja wine or a cool beer. As a casual style of eating, I simply serve tapas with some cocktail sticks – authentic and easy! I could fill this paper with tapas recipes but for now I have included two of my favourite recipes.
Literally translated as ‘fierce potatoes’, Patatas Bravas is one of the most popular tapas in Spain. I like to make the tomato sauce the day before to ensure a fuller flavour.
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 vine tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
A pinch of sugar
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
500g of potatoes
Sea Salt
To make the sauce: heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika, chilli, sugar and salt and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is pulpy and, if making in advance, chill overnight.
Next day, cut the potatoes into medium size cubes and pat dry with kitchen paper. Spread in a roasting tin, toss in a little olive oil and season. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 190ºc for 40-50 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and golden. Tip the potatoes into dishes and spoon over the reheated sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
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