Patatas bravas

SERVES 4-6 TO SHARE // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 50 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

“Patatas bravas is a classic Catalan dish,” says Toft. “It’s simply good fried potatoes, but it has to be nailed. We add a rich aïoli that’s enriched with good quality olive oil, as well as slightly spiced tomato.”

1 kg small sebago potatoes, scrubbed 2 garlic bulbs 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil 400 gm can diced tomatoes 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp chilli powder 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Aïoli, to serve (see wagyu recipe, opposite) 1 Boil potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (20-25 minutes). Drain and set aside to cool.

2 Meanwhile, to make confit garlic, remove excess papery skin from bulbs and place in a saucepan with vegetable oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then reduce heat to low and cook until tender (15 minutes). Cool (30 minutes) then strain. Reserve oil for another use. 3 Cook tomato and spices in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened slightly (4-5 minutes). Stir in extra-virgin olive oil and season to taste. 4 Add 10cm of vegetable oil to a deep frying pan and heat to 180°C. Lightly crush potatoes with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly and deep-fry, in batches, until golden and crisp

(6-7 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl with confit garlic cloves, season with salt to taste and toss to combine.

5 Layer potato, garlic and tomato sauce in a serving bowl, then top with aïoli and parsley. Drizzle with extra olive oil, season to taste and serve.