Patatas Viudas a la Riojana
La Rioja's traditional 'widowed' potatoes (cooked without meat): potato chunks cracked with a knife to release starch, gently stewed with onions, green peppers, garlic, bay, and sweet Pimentón de la Vera.
Ingredients
- • 1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and 'chasqueadas' (cut and snapped with knife to release starch)
- • 1 green Italian pepper diced, 1 red pepper diced, 1 sweet onion diced, 3 cloves garlic minced
- • 1 tbsp sweet Pimentón de la Vera, 1 bay leaf
- • 800ml hot vegetable stock or water
- • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper
Preparation Steps
Heat olive oil in a wide cazuela or Dutch oven. Sauté diced onion, green pepper, red pepper, and garlic for 10 minutes until softened.
Stir in sweet pimentón and immediately add the snapped potato chunks. Sauté and stir for 2 minutes so potatoes absorb the paprika oil.
Pour in hot vegetable stock to cover potatoes, add bay leaf and salt. Simmer gently uncovered for 25 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and the broth has thickened into a velvety sauce.
Let rest for 5 minutes off heat so flavors settle. Serve warm in shallow bowls with rustic bread.