Hearty Vegan Spanish Potatoes Recipe
Hearty Vegan Spanish Potatoes Recipe
Is this turning into a potato recipes-only blog? Cuz it kinda feels like it. I could absolutely subsist on potatoes (and maybe some bread) for the rest of my life, but things would get a little drab around here. Don’t let the color of this Spanish potatoes dish fool you, though. It’s lively and exciting in every way. Garlic, smoky Spanish paprika, and those mysterious saffron qualities dominate in the flavor department, and a rich puree of quick fried bread and almonds form almost a gravy as they soak up moisture while the potatoes bake nice and slow in the oven. Just when I thought I couldn’t handle another potato gratin. In waltzes this crazy cat.
We’re starting to get into non-gratin territory of the gratin chapter in The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (refresher–this is not a sponsored post). If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, take a look at this post or this list indexing the many gratins I’ve cooked so far. As we venture into Spanish potatoes and enchiladas (definitely not a gratin), I’m keeping an eye out for kohlrabi and other summer veggies to start appearing, so I can return to gratins I had to either skip, or make with shriveled South American kohlrabi. No thank you.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Apply a thin coat of olive oil to a 9″ glass pie plate (or similar sized baking dish). Spread the potatoes evenly in the dish. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and saffron, breaking up the longer saffron threads as you do so.
- Preheat oven to 375 (F).
- In a small skillet (I used nonstick), heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium until very hot. Add garlic cloves and almonds, and fry for a few minutes (depending on the oil temperature) until golden. Carefully remove to the bowl of a food processor. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet until very hot, then add bread pieces. Fry, as they sizzle, until they turn golden and begin to crisp. Remove promptly to the food processor. Add paprika, salt, pepper, and a splash of the boiling water to food processor and let cool for a couple minutes with the lid off. Grind until a coarse paste forms, adding more water if very dry. Distribute the bread mixture evenly over the potatoes.
- Pour remaining boiling water (it’s okay if it’s slightly cooled) slowly over the potatoes, so the bread mixture isn’t disturbed too much. Place on a rimmed baking tray, cover tightly with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and gently stir, now incorporating the bread mixture throughout the dish. Cover again with the foil (loosely is fine) and return to the oven for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. If desired, preheat the broiler and move an oven rack near it, uncover the dish, and broil for a few minutes to further brown and crisp the top.
- Let stand a few minutes (or more) before serving. The bread will continue to absorb any excess water, forming a gravy-like sauce surrounding the potatoes. For color, top with parsley before serving.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 t olive oil (for greasing)
- 3 T olive oil, divided
- 2 lb. small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- Sea or kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 pinches (1/2 to 1 t) saffron threads
- 2 large peeled garlic cloves
- 1/2 C sliced, slivered, or coarsely chopped almonds, without brown skins
- 1 1/2 C torn 1 inch pieces of hearty white bread, with crust (1 large slice)
- 1 t smoked paprika (or regular, see notes)
- 1 2/3 C boiling water
- 1 T finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
