Papas Aplastadas Crushed Potatoes Recipes

PAPAS APLASTADAS (CRUSHED POTATOES)

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat and drain.
• While the potatoes are cooking, sauté chopped bacon in a large frying pan until crispy. Remove bacon bits but do not drain the oil. Add the green pepper and a little olive oil to the pan and sauté until tender. Add the minced garlic and sauté an additional minute.
• Lightly grease a jelly roll pan, pizza pan, or baking sheet; you need a flat pan with a raised edge that can go under the broiler. Arrange the cooked potatoes on the pan. Spray the bottom of a coffee cup with vegetable spray and use the bottom to smash the potatoes until they are crushed and flattened in a thin layer that more or less covers the bottom of the pan. Note: Crush -- do not mash -- the potatoes! They should look like you dropped them on the floor, NOT like you ran over them with your SUV.
• Drizzle the potatoes liberally with olive oil and sprinkle to taste with salt, pepper and cumin. The amounts listed in the ingredients are approximate. The best way is to start conservatively, taste a bite of the potatoes, and add more spices are needed! Top the potatoes with the green pepper, green onion and bacon bits.
• Evenly spread the grated cheese over the top of the potatoes. Place in the oven under the broiler at the LOW setting. You want to bring the dish back up to serving temperature and melt the cheese. The potatoes should look gooey and bubbling with the cheese lightly browned on top.
• Make sure you keep the pan low enough (NOT the top rack!) so that the cheese isn't immediately scorched. This dish needs only a few minutes for the cheese to melt and brown slightly, so watch it carefully. Once hot and bubbly, remove from broiler and serve immediately.

OVEN-FRIED PATATAS BRAVAS (CRISPY POTATOES WITH TWO SAUCES)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put potato chunks in a large bowl, season generously with salt and toss to coat. Leave for a few minutes to let potatoes absorb salt. Add olive oil and unpeeled garlic cloves and toss to coat well. (Don't skimp on the oil; it can be strained and saved after cooking for future use.)
• Transfer potatoes (and garlic cloves) and oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy roasting pan. Make sure to have potatoes in a single layer without crowding. (If necessary, use two pans.) There should be a good 1/2-inch oil in the bottom of the pan. Add more if required.
• Place pan in oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until potato chunks are well browned on the bottom. With a metal spatula, carefully turn chunks over. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, and continue roasting until potatoes are well browned and crisp, about another 15 to 20 minutes.
• While potatoes are roasting, make the two sauces: For the salsa brava, put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and let sizzle without browning, then stir in flour and let mixture sizzle. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón dulce and pimentón picante, then add chicken broth gradually, stirring well as the sauce thickens. Bring to a gentle simmer, add vinegar and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has a gravylike consistency, but isn't too thick. Thin with a little more broth or water, if necessary. Season with salt to taste.
• For the allioli, put egg yolks and garlic in a mortar or small bowl and whisk together. (Alternatively, use a mini food processor or stick blender, see note.) Add oil a few drops at a time, whisking vigorously with each addition. As the sauce thickens, add olive oil a teaspoon at a time. If the aioli gets too thick, whisk in 1 tablespoon water, then continue to whisk in remaining oil. The finished sauce should have the consistency of softly whipped cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• When potatoes are ready, use spatula to transfer to a pan lined with paper towels to blot, then to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve warm with the two sauces.

PAPAS A LO POBRE WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Fry the chorizo in the olive oil with the crushed potatoes, garlic and rosemary. Allow the chorizo to form a crust before turning.
• Meanwhile, fry the eggs the way you like them. Mix the potatoes with the parsley and a light dusting of smoked paprika. Serve the eggs on top of the potatoes with a further dusting of paprika, if you like.

PATATAS BRAVAS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Heat a little oil in a pan, fry the onion, garlic and chilli until the onion softens, add the cayenne and paprika and stir. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, then cook the whole mixture down for about 20 mins until you have a thick paste. Season well and, if you prefer a smooth sauce, blitz it with a hand blender.
• Meanwhile, steam the potatoes for 10 mins and put the chorizo in a frying pan to slowly cook and release some of its oil. Tip off the excess red oil and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the potatoes and fry everything together, turning the heat up as you go so both the potatoes and chorizo brown in patches. Tip into a bowl. Season the sauce - if it isn't hot enough add a few more pinches of cayenne. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and chorizo to serve.