Patatas a la Importancia Recipe
Patatas a la Importancia Recipe, which translates to Important Potatoes, a simple and delicious dish all the family will love.
The strange name comes from the ingredients added to the potatoes, that give the dish "importance".
This dish originates from the northwest provinces of Palencia and León, but like most cheap and simple dishes, its popularity has spread throughout the whole of Spain.
Serve this dish as an appetizer, side dish or even on its own.
INGREDIENCE
600 gr potatoes
2 Large eggs
1 onion (finely diced)
2 garlic cloves
Meat, chicken or vegetable stock
100 ml white wine (optional)
30 gr Plain Flour
1 tbsp corn starch
80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
6 strands of saffron or 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
Salt and black pepper
Parsley
Patatas a la Importancia Recipe (with saffron).
METHOD
Slice the potatoes into rounds that are a 1/4 inch thick, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and black pepper and whisk together.
In another bowl add the flour, season with salt and black pepper and whisk together.
Coat each slice of potato, start by dipping into the flour, and then into the egg, making sure to shake off any of the excess flour and egg.
Heat a large frying pan with a medium heat and add a good amount of the extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes start adding the coated potatoes, cook in batches to not over-crowd the pan, after 3 minutes flip to cook the other side, after another 3 minutes or when they are visibly golden, remove the potatoes from the pan and transfer to a plate with paper towels, (It is important that they are not stacked so that the batter is not damaged. continue to cook until all the potatoes are done.
Strain the oil from the frying pan so there is no flour residue, and in that same pan with the stained oil, fry the onion, when the onion becomes golden and transparent add 1tbsp of corn starch, mix until will combined. add the minced/mashed garlic the saffron or sweet smoked paprika (not both), a little parsley and the wine, leave it to brown for a couple of minutes while the alcohol evaporates and reduces, continue mixing until you have a thick sauce.
Add in all the slices of potato (it´s ok if they are stacked around each other) and pour in the stock, using just enough to cover all the potatoes, cook for about 20 minutes over low - medium heat, at this point you don´t have to mix anything, just give the pan a quick shake once in a while.
After about 20 minutes and almost all the liquid has been incorporated into the potatoes and they are fully cooked through, remove from the heat, serve directly out of the pan garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
Find lots more Spanish recipes in our online cook book here.
