Spanish Potatoes Stew Recipe, Ingenuity in Times of Hunger

Never before have potatoes been given so much importance as in this recipe. I say this not only because these potatoes are incredibly delicious, but also because the Spanish name for this recipe would is; "Patatas a la Importancia".

This comforting stew can be served for lunch or dinner, as a main dish or as a side dish with meat or fish. You can even add mushrooms or other vegetables of your choice, such as green beans or asparagus.

This Spanish Tapa dish is another of those Spanish recipes born in the post-war period, one of the most food-scarce times, when the poorest families used their ingenuity to create dishes with basic ingredients such as eggs, flour and potatoes.

But before I start with the recipe, I would like to tell you a curiosity related to today's protagonist, the potato.

Potatoes origin

Flower of Potatoe plant

The potato is a plant that has been cultivated for 8,000 years in the Peruvian-Bolivian highlands, with more than 3,000 known varieties, most of them found in Peru.

However, it did not reach Europe until the 16th century, when the Spanish introduced American foods such as potatoes, maize and tomatoes. Initially, the potato was considered decorative in Europe, and its consumption as food did not begin until the 18th century, during the Napoleonic era, thanks to the studies of the Frenchman Antoine Parmentier, becoming today one of the most consumed foods and the basis of many cuisines around the world.

Potato Stew Recipe, "Potatoes a la Importance"

• Preparation time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 45 min
• Total time: 55 min

Ingredients for 4 persons

• 900 g / 31,7 oz / 2 lb potatoes
• 1/2 L / 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (optional)
• 180 g / 6,3 oz / 0,4 lb brunoise onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 300 ml / 1,2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 140 g / 5 oz / 0,3 flour
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1 g of saffron
• 1 bay leaf
• A few leaves of chopped parsley
• Salt and White pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into slices approximately 1 cm thick and season them on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a frying pan with oil to about 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Prepare a bowl with flour, a bowl with beaten eggs with a pinch of salt and an empty plate with a paper towel to place the potatoes in after frying.
4. Dredge the potatoes in flour, let them sit in the flour for a minute to adhere well to the potatoes, then shake off the excess flour by tapping them with a fork.
5. Dip the potatoes in the beaten egg to coat them completely.
6. When the oil is hot, place the potatoes in the pan and fry on both sides. Please do this in batches to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping too low due to too many potatoes in the pan, which could cause the coating to come off when they are cooked.
7. Once browned on both sides, place them on absorbent paper to drain the excess oil.

1. In a medium pot, heat about 6 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent.
3. Add a teaspoon of flour and stir well. Cook it for about two minutes or until brown colour.

1. In a mortar or food processor, crush the garlic, saffron, and white wine with a pinch of salt until get a homogeneous liquid. Add it and a bay leaf into the pot.
2. Allow the alcohol to evaporate and add the vegetable stock and half the chopped parsley.
3. Boil everything for a couple of minutes mixing the flavours well, and carefully place the potatoes in the pot.
4. Cover it with a lid and cook it for 30 minutes over low heat.

1. Check they are tender with a fork or knife and garnish with the remaining chopped parsley.
2. Now place the pot in the centre of the table, serve plates to your guests and enjoy.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this humble recipe, and if you'd like to leave any comments, you can do so on Facebook or Instagram, where I also share additional content for each recipe.

Have a tasty day!