Papas Bravas + Santiago Ruiz Albariño 2017 #AlbarinoHoliday #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a virtual wine tasting event hosted by 

Snooth for Rias Baixas. Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

After the virtual Snooth tasting of Rias Baixas wines*, we headed over to our Spanish friends' home. They showed me some great Spanish recipes, including their Papas Bravas. It was great to stand around the island in their kitchen, talking about books with the kids, and digging into the potatoes while washing it all down with another Albariño.

In the Glass

The Santiago Ruiz Albariño 2017 is comprised of five different grape varieties native to Rias Baixas. It's a blend of Albariño, Loureiro, Godello, Treixadura, and Caiño Blanco. I've only ever heard of the first grape!

All of the grapes come from the O Rosal area, from vineyards in San Miguel de Tabagon and Tomiño. Clear and bright, this wine has an intense, complex nose that includes fruit, herbs, and minerals. And, for being a white wine, this is surprisingly full-bodied.

On the Plate

Papas Bravas

Susana sent me the recipe she used...and her adaptations. Thankfully she translated it for me because I definitely wouldn't know what "1 cucharada de pimentón picante" meant. Also, in the photo above, the lighter colored sauce is hers; the darker one is a commercial bravas sauce. The homemade one was much, much better!

Potatoes

• 2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed
• water
• oil for frying

Cover cubed potatoes in water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a rimmed pan and pat the potatoes dry. Fry the potatoes in batches until they are golden brown and have a nice crust on the outside. Drain and serve immediately with the salsa.

Salsa

• 1 cebolla picada (1 chopped onion)
• 250 g de tomate natural tamizado (250 grams of diced tomatoes - I put a can of diced tomatoes)
• Pimientos chiles 2, (si te gusta más picante 4) (2 chile peppers)
• 7 dientes de ajos partidos en trozos grandes (the recipe states 7 cloves of garlic, I added 3 cloves)
• Pimientos choricero (sundried red pepper paste, I did not use because I did not have any)
• Aceite virgen extra 150 ml (150 ml extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 cucharada de pimentón picante (1 T paprika)
• 60 ml de vinagre blanco (60 ml of white vinegar- I did not put any because we do not like it very much)
• ½ cucharadita de orégano seco (1/2 t oregano)
• Una pizca de comino (1/2 t cumin)
• Una cucharadita de perejil picado (1 t parsley)
• salt to taste
• hot sauce, if needed

Heat a splash of oil in a skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, approximately 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, chile peppers and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. 

Add the tomatoes and their liquid, oregano, cumin, and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. Transfer the sauce to a blender.

Purée until smooth. You should remove the small cap from the blender lid and cover the space with a kitchen towel; this lets steam escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off. Add the vinegar, if using. Season to taste with additional salt, vinegar (if using), or hot sauce as desired.

Find the Sponsors...

Rias Baixas on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram

Snooth on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.