| Patatas bravas | |
| Country: | Spain |
| Course: | Appetizer |
| Main Ingredient: | Potato |
Patatas bravas (pronounced as /es/, also called patatas a la brava or papas bravas, all meaning "spicy potatoes") is a dish native to Spain. It typically consists of white potatoes that have been cut into 2cm (01inches) cubes, then fried in oil and served warm with a spicy "brava" sauce. The brava sauce is primarily sweet or smoked paprika (using high-quality Spanish pimentón de la Vera) and olive oil based, often thickened with cornstarch. Some regions call for the addition of tomato paste, although there can be many variations.[1]
Visitors to Spain often confuse it with the similar dish patatas mixtas, which consists of fried potatoes served with both brava sauce and aioli sauce.
The dish is commonly served in restaurants and bars throughout Spain as a variety of tapa.
Patatas bravas are served in bars in servings that contain approximately a quarter kilo of potato. It is frequently consumed as part of tapas.
The sauce for patatas bravas is also sometimes served over mussels. This dish is known as mejillones en salsa brava.