Rioja Style Potatoes
November 11, 2008
I have decided to begin highlighting Spanish recipes in this blog. While I remain an avid cookbook reader and fearless experimenter in the kitchen, many people find it easier to incorporate a recipe into their culinary repertoire based on recommendations one recipe at a time. I will offer some of my favorites, many of which will be classics.
Spanish cooking is deceptively simple, a fact which many people find surprising. The flavor-packed results are due to the strength and high quality of the ingredients. Many dishes take little active preparation time; most of the time is taken up in letting the dish cook.
Here’s a classic potato dish from La Rioja, great for chilly evenings. Seek out good quality Spanish chorizo and pimentón (paprika), both available from specialty stores and the online Spanish goods store La Tienda.
Rioja Style Potatoes
Patatas a la riojana al estilo de Marisa
A recipe by Marisa Sánchez, winner of the Spanish National Gastronomy Prize
Hotel Restaurante Echaurren, Ezcaray, La Rioja, Spain
http://www.echurren.com
Ingredients
Potatoes
Lamb rib meat, in small pieces
A few small pieces of lean pork loin
Spanish chorizo, cut into thick slices
Green peppers, chopped
Red choricero peppers
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Bay leaf
Parsley
Salt
Pimentón (Spanish paprika)
Preparation
Cut the potatoes into thick pieces. Prepare a pan with oil, abundant chopped onion and two garlic cloves, and sautée until golden. Add the potatoes, turning them a few times to prevent them from sticking, add a bit of salt, paprika, bay leaf and mashed garlic and parsley. Then, while stirring the mix, add hot water until it almost covers the potatoes; the amount of water may depend on the type of potatoes.
If the chorizo is highly cured, add it now, and if not, add it at the end. The peppers should be added once the potatoes have boiled for a while, so that they do not fall apart.
At the beginning the potatoes should boil rapidly and later slowly. Check for salt (since the chorizo is salty, not much salt is needed typically).
Let the potatoes boil slowly for a good while, testing until they are ready to serve. If you like a spicy combination, you may add chopped guindilla (hot) peppers.
Posted by Jane Gregg 0 Comments
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