Navarre & Rioja · 45 min · Meat · Main course · For beginners
Patatas a la Riojana
In German: Kartoffeln nach Rioja-Art · In English: Rioja-style potatoes with chorizo
For 4 servings · US units
Potatoes with chorizo and red pepper, gently braised in a smoky red sauce
Patatas a la Riojana are potatoes done the La Rioja way: waxy chunks simmered with chorizo, red peppers and smoked paprika until hardly any liquid is left. The fat from the sausage turns everything a deep, glossy red and gives this humble pot its depth. Just the thing for autumn and winter evenings, when all you want is a steaming bowl in front of you.
Ingredients
- 1⅔ lbpotatoespeeled, cut into bite-sized chunks or wedges
- 8¾ ozskinned, thinly slicedSpanish or Portuguese pork sausage, heavily seasoned with paprika and garlic, which releases red fat as it cooks.Substitute: Cured chorizo cut into chunks works at a pinch, though it turns chewier and renders less fat; Mexican chorizo is a different product, loose, seasoned with vinegar and chilli, and changes the dish noticeably.Read more
- 2onionfinely diced
- 4 clovesgarlicdiced or thinly sliced
- 4bell pepperseeded, cut into pieces of about 2 cm
- 3⅓ cupswaterfor simmering the potatoes, roughly up to their level
- 1½ tspsweet, or partly hotPaprika made from peppers dried over oak smoke, called pimentón in Spain; deep red and smoky, and sold as sweet, bittersweet or hot.Substitute: Plain sweet paprika gives the colour and sweetness but none of the smoke, and in dishes like chorizo stews or pulpo a la gallega the smoke is the point. A pinch of chipotle brings back some smokiness, though with more heat.Read more
- saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
- 2 tbspparsleychopped, for sprinkling
- 2 tbsptomato pastestirred in with the paprika for a richer sauce (optional)
Method
- Prep the vegetables and chorizoPeel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks or wedges. Finely dice the onions, and dice or thinly slice the garlic. Seed the red peppers and cut them into pieces of about 2 cm. Skin the chorizo and slice it thinly.
- Crisp the chorizoFry the chorizo in a large pot over medium heat until it releases its fat and starts to crisp at the edges. Lift it out and set it aside, leaving the red fat in the pot.
- Soften onions and peppersSoften the onions and garlic in the chorizo fat until translucent. Add the peppers and let them cook briefly with the onions and garlic.
- Toast the smoked paprikaStir in the smoked paprika and, if you like a richer sauce, the tomato paste along with it. Keep it moving for just a moment so the paprika doesn't scorch.
- Add potatoes and waterAdd the potatoes and pour in enough water to come roughly up to their level. Bring everything to the boil and season with salt and black pepper.
- Simmer until tenderCover and simmer for about 15 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and only a little liquid remains. Give it a stir now and then and top up with a splash of water if needed.
- Return the chorizoReturn the chorizo to the pot and let it sit in the sauce for a few more minutes, so it warms through and lends its flavour to the sauce.
- Season and serveTaste and adjust the salt and black pepper, scatter over the chopped parsley and serve.
Tips and variations
Swap the water for vegetable stock to give the pot a rounder flavour. For a vegan version, fry plant-based sausage in olive oil instead of chorizo, then soften the onions, garlic and peppers in that same oil. A mix of yellow and red peppers works nicely too, with black olives added towards the end and basil in place of parsley. If you want more seasoning, add thyme and serve with a spoonful of smoothly stirred sour cream. For a quicker pot, use roasted peppers from a jar instead of fresh ones, with a blend of sweet and hot smoked paprika. Serve in deep bowls so none of that red sauce goes to waste.
Allergens
Not every ingredient in this recipe has been checked, so nothing is promised as free from.
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
