This was step 1 of patatas bravas, which felt like it took all day, but was worth it.
Fujiwara Kanefusa FKH-06 270mm sujihiki with coffee patina was, as one would expect, unusably thick BTE for onions and potatoes, so I switched to my (thinner and only) gyuto, an unassuming
Sakai Kikumori 210mm in (I believe)
yellow or SK steel. Logging the recipe as a note to myself but this is not to say it’s any better than any other recipe out there, just what I did.
1kg Russet potatoes, peeled, diamond cubed into lozenges, steamed until surface tender but not mushy, approx 2m then given the opportunity to dry off, optionally cooled and refrigerated for a bit of retrogradation. (Most recipes say boil the potatoes in high pH. I find that boiling runs too close to mashed and the loose starch burns in the fryer.)
500g ordinary tomatoes, chopped with your best 1000 grit edge
Tomato paste, from the store
Hot smoked paprika powder. Mild smoked paprika powder. e.g. La Chinata’s Pimentón de la Vera
1 onion fine and/or handful of small shallots fine
1 head garlic, germ removed since we have all day
Handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
Light olive oil
Lemon juice
Bacon bits or any other ham optional
Herbs like rosemary, thyme, etc
Deep-fry potato chunks until brown and crisp, approx 15–30m per batch; lower the heat near the end so the outsides crisp lots without burning. I had excess moisture so it took way longer than it should have. Add half of available alliums near end of cooking to soften and brown. Crispiness is enhanced by external par-cooked layer, as in
British roast potatoes. Salt.
While potatoes are cooking, start tomato sauce on second burner. Reduce on low, approx 10–20m. After tomatoes are reduced, add a spoon of hot and a spoon of smoked paprika powder; add squirt of tomato paste to taste.
While tomatoes are cooking, make aioli using lemon juice, garlic, oil using whatever blender or mortar or whisk is handy.
Optionally, rinse blender. Then blend tomato mix.
Toss potatoes with tomato sauce and herbs while singing the song. Plate, then squirt on the aioli artfully. (I couldn’t do “artfully” because my emulsion broke.) Top with remaining raw alliums and chopped (cherry) tomatoes for freshness.
Serves one.
Photo shows Yukon golds, which are Plan B if you don’t have Russets.