Angry Potatoes! (Patatas Bravas)

I am a lover of all things carbohydrate – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes – they all have a special place in my heart (and my stomach). I shudder at the outrageous thought of a low-carb life. The Atkins diet makes me cringe. I would rather run an extra mile a day than go without my daily starch quota. And I especially love potatoes for their unrefined, carby awesomeness. I like them fried, roasted, mashed, boiled and especially totted (as in tater tots).

So it’s no wonder that one of my favorite tapas dishes is Patatas Bravas, which roughly translates to Angry Potatoes. What makes these potatoes so damn angry? Roasted grape tomatoes, olive oil, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper all blended together into a fiery sauce. If there’s one thing I love more than carbs, it’s all manner of spice. You could say that this dish had me at hello, but that would be a mighty cheesy way to end a blog post.

Blog note: I finally got rid of that silly “/mel/” in my URL. From here on out, you can find all posts and recipes at www.bitchincamero.com. Not to worry – all old and bookmarked links will still work. Many thanks to my friend Chris for his technical expertise.

Angry Potatoes! (Patatas Bravas)
These would be very delicious with an omelette in place of regular home fries. Just sayin’.

2 lb. fingerling potatoes
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tbsp. smoked paprika (medium)
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (less or none if you don’t like spicy foods)
1 – 2 tsp. salt (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Cut the potatoes into rough 1-inch pieces. Toss the potatoes with 1 tbsp. olive oil and place on a cookie sheet in one layer.

If the cookie sheet is large enough, place the tomatoes on the same sheet, otherwise, put them on their own cookie sheet or in a small oven-safe dish. Bake the tomatoes and potatoes for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and golden and the tomatoes are melting. Remove from oven.

Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and add the remaining 3 tbsp. of olive oil, along with the vinegar, paprika, cayenne and salt. Mix well with a fork, breaking all of the roasted tomatoes into the sauce.

Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss with the sauce. Add more cayenne or salt to taste.

Makes 6 side servings.