BOOM BOOM POTATOES
PG tested
Every July Fourth cookout includes potato salad. This dish forgoes the mayonnaise for a spicy sauce made with two kinds of paprika, garlic and onion in a take on the iconic Spanish tapas known as patatas bravas.
I roasted the potatoes beforehand, then panfried them just before serving in vegetable oil to make them extra crispy. Drizzle the sauce on top or serve in a bowl for dipping.
For potatoes
2 pounds small potatoes, baby Yukon gold, fingerling or red skin potatoes
2 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
2 to 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, enough to just coat potatoes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
For sauce
⅓ cup of olive oil
½ small yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf
Pinch of sugar 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch
1½ cups of water, chicken or vegetable broth Salt to taste
Sherry vinegar, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Scrub potatoes clean then cut in half or quarters (depending on size) and place on a cookie sheet.
Add cracked cloves of garlic. Coat potatoes and garlic with oil and season generously with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
Place potatoes on center rack of oven and roast 20 minutes until just tender
For sauce: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until translucent. Add bay leaf, sugar and paprikas, and stir until combined. Add flour or cornstarch and stir until combined.
Add water or broth very gradually, stirring constantly. You may have to add more flour or cornstarch to achieve the desired consistency, which needs to be velvety and smooth.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Remove the bay leaf and then puree in a blender and pour into a glass jar. If desired, brighten the sauce with a splash of sherry vinegar.
When ready to serve, drizzle sauce over the warm roasted potatoes. For extra crunch and spice, panfry the potatoes in vegetable oil with a pinch or two of red pepper flakes just before serving. Serves 4 to 6.