Papas Bravas + Gazela Vinho Verde Rosé #WinePW

This week the Wine Pairing Weekend Bloggers are looking at Vinho Verde. Since it's summer and their price points are so attractive, I decided to do a nice exploration of a few bottles of Vinho Verde Rosé. The Gazela Vinho Verde Rosé was the second bottle I opened and poured. I will be sharing more about the wine and my tasting notes during the upcoming #WinePW event. For now, here's the recipe with which I paired it...

Papas Bravas

The salsa (sauce) is a recipe that my friend from Spain shared with me. Susana sent me her adaptations and, thankfully, she also translated it for me because I definitely wouldn't know what "1 cucharada de pimentón picante" meant. She typically fries her potatoes, but I decided to roast mine in the oven. 

Potatoes

• 4 to 6 potatoes, scrubbed, sliced to 1/2" to 3/4" cubes
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil and spices. Add potato pieces and toss to coat. Spread as a single layer on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet.

Place try in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes turning occasionally. Roast until the outside is crisped and browned and the inside tender.

Salsa

• 1 cebolla picada (1 chopped onion)
• 250 g de tomate natural tamizado (250 grams of diced tomatoes - I used 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 (7 cloves of garlic)
• Aceite virgen extra 150 ml (150 ml extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 cucharada de pimentón picante (1 Tablespoon paprika - I used 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika)
• 60 ml de vinagre blanco (60 ml of white vinegar)
• ½ cucharadita de orégano seco (1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
• Una pizca de comino (1/2 teaspoon cumin)
• Una cucharadita de perejil picado (1 teaspoon 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.