To mark the undeniably well-deserved victory of ‘La Roja’, the Spanish men’s national football team, at the World Cup, here is a recipe for a traditional Spanish dish that also features the national colours of red and yellow.
‘Patatas a la Riojana’ are among the most popular dishes in La Rioja, the famous wine-growing region spanning the autonomous communities of La Rioja, the Basque Country and Navarre. Along with ‘caparrones’ (a bean stew) and ‘chuletillas al sarmiento’ (lamb chops grilled over vine branches), they are an iconic dish of the region. Its origins are traced back to the 19th century and are linked to the introduction of the potato into stews following Napoleon’s invasion. Although the potato had already arrived in Europe as early as the 15th century, it was initially used as an ornamental plant in gardens. It was not until the famines caused by the wars, centuries later, that it began to be eaten as food.
You only need a few ingredients, but they pack a real punch of flavour: floury potatoes and semi-cured (‘semicurado’) chorizo, onion and garlic, red peppers and tomatoes. Plus, of course, olive oil, spicy smoked paprika (‘pimentón’), a few herbs and just a splash of vinegar.
Cut the onions in half and slice them lengthways into strips, no thinner than 3 mm; cut the peppers into strips of about 4 mm. Slice the garlic thinly and the chorizo into slices 1–2 cm thick, depending on your preference. It is important to remove the skin from the chorizo beforehand, as it would otherwise become unpleasantly tough. Dice the tomatoes.
The technique that makes all the difference is called ‘chascar’: rather than cutting the potatoes cleanly through, you make a shallow cut with a small knife and then use the blade as a lever to break the potato. These irregular broken edges cause the potatoes to release more starch, making the dish creamier.
Now gently fry the onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil over a medium heat for about 15 minutes, so the temperature mustn’t be too high. The vegetables should give off a strong aroma and start to brown.
After 10 minutes, add the chorizo and fry it with the vegetables for a further five minutes or so, stirring frequently.
Now season with pimentón; we recommend using the hot variety (picante, not dulce). Add the diced tomatoes to the pan to prevent the paprika from burning and becoming bitter.
Bay leaves add a lovely touch. Some people use them, others don’t – we find that their slightly bitter flavour balances out the sweetness of the onions and peppers perfectly.
Then add the potatoes, along with a little red wine or sherry vinegar and water. Some fresh thyme is recommended.
Let it simmer gently for 25–30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is a rural dish, and everyone cooks it a little differently. So don’t be too fussy about the quantities – just cook by feel. It’ll turn out perfectly either way. Patatas a la Riojana are very filling and warming. Nevertheless, they taste brilliant all year round. We cooked this in Spain in June, and it worked out perfectly then too.
¡Qué aproveche!
And may the taste be with you.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
120 ml olive oil
2 medium onions (approx. 300 g) and 2 large red peppers, cut into strips
6 garlic cloves, sliced
300 g chorizo semicurado (remove the skin before slicing)
2–3 tsp pimentón picante
3–4 tomatoes, diced
2 bay leaves (optional)
1 kg floury potatoes
A splash of vinegar (red wine or sherry vinegar)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (alternatively dried)
Salt and black pepper
