In Spanish cuisine, a place of honor occupies the Brave sauce. Yes, the one that accompanies the potatoes that take their name from it, the patatas bravas. One of the most popular tapas bars in the country whose origin -unclear- points to Madrid in the 50s-60s of the last century.
Two Madrid bars that are no longer with us are recognized as the first to serve this tapa. Pellico Housewhich was located on Calle Toledo, and The big houseon Echegaray street.
In addition to being tasty, the recipe was simple and, possibly for this reason, it was quickly popularized throughout the rest of the capital and, later, the country.
The brava sauce is characterized by that spicy touch that differentiates it from many others. Some recipes take it from hot paprika, others from cayenne pepper, others from Tabasco, etc. And it is that, although many claim their sauce as authentic, the truth is that there is no reference to the exact recipe.
Each maestrillo has his booklet and you only have to try this portion in different bars to realize it. No two bravas sauces are the same. In fact, in our recipe for patatas bravas, the sauce is made with chicken soup thickened with flour and seasoned with hot and sweet paprika.
And within the uncertainty about its origin and the authenticity of this formula, we find that -possibly- it was in Madrid where it was incorporated for the first time in use of crushed tomato as the main ingredient, displacing the broth and flour to the exile.
To these two versions of the same sauce are added many others, but we have based ourselves on a mix of both to prepare our favorite recipe of the brava sauce. Tomato and broth intervene in equal parts, reducing the whole to a slow fire to avoid the use of flour.
Peel and chop the onion. It does not need to be particularly fine, because then we are going to crush it and pass through a strainer. We also peel the garlic cloves and grate or crush them to obtain a puree.
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic. over low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add the hot paprika and cayenne pepper, without seeds. Stir and sauté for a few seconds to integrate without burning the paprika.
Add the crushed natural tomato, the vegetable broth, the sugar (optional), the Sherry vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Slightly raise the heat and cook for a few 20-30 minutes or the time needed to obtain a thick sauce.
Blend the sauce and we pass through a strainer so that it is fine. If it is too liquid and necessary, we put it back on the fire and let it reduce for another five or ten minutes.
We can serve the sauce immediately, hot, or let it cool. If we are not going to use it immediately, let it cool down before store in the fridge, inside an airtight container. It lasts a week in good condition. It also supports freezing.
19 recipes in which to use our brava sauce
It is indisputable that brava sauce and potatoes make a perfect marriage, but its uses can go further. Try to accompany with it some roasted vegetables, baked or grilled fish or meat and you will see how the result surprises you. Here we leave you some ideas to succeed.
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