Patatas O Lo Pobre

VEGETARIAN

There is nothing poor about this recipe. A classic Spanish recipe for potatoes. There are, of course many variations. You could use green instead of red pepper, and we do know of one very famous chef who omits the pepper altogether. Whatever ingredients you use, it is the slow cooking of vegetables in olive oil which makes this so good.

The cooking time may be a bit lengthy, but it doesn't need much attention. In fact we wrote this web page whilst cooking the recipe. At this point, we have just put the pepper in, and it's starting to smell absolutely wonderful.

INGREDIENTS

1 Red Pepper
1 Large Spanish Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
12 oz (340 g) Waxy Potatoes
6 Fl. oz (170 ml) Olive Oil
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

PREPARATION

Cover the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil. Thinly slice the onion, and when the olive oil is warm add the onion together with a pinch of salt. Simmer very slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns golden, about twenty minutes say.

Whilst the onions are cooking, take out the seeds from the pepper and roughly chop it. Slice the garlic thickly. When the onions are golden, add the pepper and garlic, together with the bay leaves. Continue simmering until the pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.

After the pepper has been cooking for about 10 minutes, peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and sprinkle them with a little salt. Leave for about 5 minutes.

When the pepper has softened, add the rest of the olive oil, and when it was warmed up, add the potatoes. Keep simmering gently, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain everything in a sieve, keeping the olive oil aside to use again in another recipe, bearing in mind it will be flavoured. If you have potatoes left over and some eggs, you could use the oil to make another Spanish classic, Tortilla Espanola

Check the seasoning, add salt if necessary, and a little freshly ground black pepper and serve.