mashed, au gratin, roasted, in a salad, oven fried, as a quiche crust, baked, as chips, as tots {especially at busy bee}, fried & smothered in naughty, naughty cheese & bacon, at bojangles’ in the morning where they’re fried, generously dusted with cajun seasoning & accompanied with honey mustard {& a chicken biscuit} to recover from a long night…i think you get the point that we’re EOPCs: equal opportunity potato consumers.

we try not to eat too many of them too often, but they’re just so damn delicious.  & versatile.

although, i think we can all agree that they’re really at their finest when fried, yes?

patatas bravas are staples of tapas menus everywhere & sort of remind me of a more refined version of our beloved bojangles’ hangover helpers: crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with a dusting of hot, smoked paprika & delicious, homemade aioli.

& like bojangles’ fries, i’m sure they’re good for breakfast, too.

i’ve yet to meet a fried potato that’s not, really…

PATATAS BRAVAS

serves 4

2lbs russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
kosher salt
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 medium cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups canola oil
2 teaspoons hot, smoked paprika
2 scallions, thinly sliced

place the potatoes in a large saucepan & cover with water. add vinegar & about 2 tablespoons of salt & bring to a boil, over high heat. boil for about 7 minutes, until potatoes are tender. drain & set aside.

in the bowl of a food processor, add the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, garlic & 2 teaspoons of water. run the motor until it all comes together, just a few seconds. with the motor running, drizzle in the canola oil, in a steady stream. scrape down the sides, if necessary. at this point the sauce should have thickened. transfer to a medium bowl & whisk, slowly streaming in the olive oil. (you don’t want to do this part in the food processor, because it will cause the oil to turn bitter.) season to taste with salt, pepper & more lemon juice, if necessary. set aside.

heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, over medium high heat. add the potatoes in a single layer & cook, rotating & turning them until they’re golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. (you may have to do this in shifts to not overcrowd the pan.) transfer to a paper towel lined bowl to drain. season with salt & pepper immediately.

once all the potatoes are finished, transfer them all to a large serving bowl & drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with paprika & scatter the scallions on top. serve immediately.

from serious eats