Patatas Bravas with Allioli

By Addie

In Catalan, all i oli literally means “garlic and oil” and is the preferred sauce for patatas bravas in the region of Catalunya. Traditionally made by grinding garlic and olive oil together with a mortar and pestle, modern versions add egg yolk as an emulsifier to help the garlic and oil mix together. For my rendition, I’ve added some lemon juice and honey help balance the salty richness of the allioli. It doesn’t quite have the same level of umami that Bar Tomas’ version had, but it comes close. My guess is that the flavour in Tomas’ allioli is either coming from some grated cheese, or they’re using some kind of animal fat instead of

This combination of duck fat fried patatas with the pungent allioli makes for a tasty take on this classic tapa. The spuds take on a crackling crisp exterior with a soft and steamy interior, and each golden brown morsel is brimming with umami thanks to the rendered duck fat they fry in. They’d be delicious with the sea salt, pimentón and olive oil, but the freshly emulsified allioli that crowns this mound of carbs takes the dish from humble to sublime.

Ingredients

• FOR ALLIOLI:
• 6 cloves garlic finely grated
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• .......................................
• FOR PATATAS BRAVAS:
• 4 yukon gold potatoes cut into irregular 1/2″ chunks
• 1/2 cup duck fat (or more if you have it)
• Pimentón
• Cayenne pepper
• Sea salt (maldon or flor de sal work well)
• Olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

To make the Allioli, put the garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and whisk together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until you have a thick pale yellow emulsion.

Thoroughly dry the cut up potatoes using paper towels. Heat the duck fat in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until about 350 degrees F. I only had about half a cup of duck fat left, but if you have more fat, your potatoes will fry faster and you won’t have to flip them. Put the potatoes in the oil and fry, stirring occasionally until they have just a hint of colour on the exterior. Transfer them to the paper towel lined rack and let them cool for a minute. This step removes the excess water near the surface of the potato, allowing them to crisp on the second fry.

Put the potatoes back in the hot oil. If you are shallow frying, leave the potatoes undisturbed until you can see the edges turning golden brown. Flip the potatoes over using tongs and brown the other side. When they’re brown and crisp all over, transfer to a paper towel lined rack.

Pile the potatoes on a plate and sprinkle with pimentón, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. Drizzle with olive oil, then put a few dollops of allioli on top of your patatas bravas. Serve with some toothpicks.