New Years Eve in our household was full of relaxation, watching the countdown, and comforting our fur babies from the sounds of the fireworks.
Our last appetizer of the night were these tasty fried smashed potatoes. Fried in herb infused oil and topped with a smokey tomato sauce, it was just what the hunny wanted! My spin on this classic Spanish Tapa is smashing my potatoes. Smashing the potatoes allows for more of everyone’s favorite part- the crispy edges! The smokiness from the smoked paprika plays nicely with the bright acidity of the lemon garlic aioli.
I hope 2020 brings you more yummy food, laughter, and happily ever after!
Potatoes Bravas with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
For the potatoes
10 small red potatoes
3 tbs avocado oil
3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
2 sprigs rosemary
2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
For the Bravas Sauce
2 tbs avocado oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 15 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like a kick!)
salt and pepper to taste
Lemon Garlic Aioli can be found here
Instructions
In a large pot of salted (like the sea) boiling water, drop potatoes and cook until fork tender-about 15 minutes.
While potatoes are boiling, prepare the rosemary and garlic infused oil. In a large saute pan, put avocado oil, garlic, rosemary, and smoked paprika on medium low heat. Let the ingredients simmer until the garlic and rosemary become nice and crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, roughly chop them (remove leaves from stem and discard), and reserve for garnish. Remove pan from heat as you wait for the potatoes to finish.
Once potatoes are tender, drain, and place them on a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Now it is time to smash the potatoes! Using the bottom of a coffee mug, gently press down on each potato. They should resemble fat disks- this allows for more surface area to crisp up when pan fried in the infused oil. Salt and pepper them before placing in the pan.
Bring the infused oil to medium high temperature. Once the oil in glistening, place potatoes in the pan and fry on both sides until nice and brown. Remove from pan, finish with salt and pepper, and garnish with reserved rosemary and garlic.
For the Bravas Sauce: In a medium pot, saute onions, garlic, and smoked paprika until onions have softened. Add in tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper. Taste, taste, and taste again- do not be afraid to experiment with your food! I am a big supporter of seasoning to your liking. In my recipes you will notice that I do a lot of “salt and pepper to taste” and that is because our love of salt will always differ. So go on, do your thing! 🙂
Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before blending into a smooth sauce.
To assemble: Spoon Bravas sauce to the bottom of a small serving dish. Place fried herb potatoes on top. Finish with a drizzle of Bravas Sauce and Lemon Garlic Aioli.
Extra Bravas Sauce is super yummy when spooned over fried eggs, omelets, fish, and chicken. OooOoo I might need to play around with this more and add a leftovers recipe :).