The seasoned potatoes -or potatoes dressing– are one of the most typical dishes of the Cadiz gastronomy, where, as Pakus already explained to us, they are usually served as a tapa. Karlos Arguiñano is well acquainted with the traditional Spanish recipe book and does not hesitate to suggest variants with your personal touchsometimes merging culinary cultures a bit.
on his tv show open kitchen Not long ago he prepared his version of this dish that we can also serve as an appetizer or starter, although on this occasion the chef from Beasain proposes it as a garnish for grilled meat, which always combines very well with root vegetables in all their forms. . He accompanies them with a pig’s headbut also suggests using simple chicken or turkey breasts, some steak, etc.
The first step is not very mysterious and is identical to the Andalusian recipe: cook the potatoes -two per person- in boiling salted water. Arguiñano cooks them covered for a few 25 or 30 minutes, until they can be passed through well with a knife without falling apart. As you rightly point out, it is the step that will take us the longest in this recipe, since the rest is completed in a flash.
Although boiled potatoes can be eaten with their skin on, and many people also like to find it in the mash, the Basque cook is a firm defender of peeling them. It is better to do it when they are still hot, without burning ourselves, for later cut them into slicesthat is, rather thick and generous slices, before dressing them.
And here is the key to Arguiñano’s version of this dish. Instead of the typical chives with parsley, oil and vinegar, in his variant he proposes dressing them with lightened old-fashioned mustard in a bowl a little with good extra virgin olive oil. We can use any other mustard that we like, although this one is more showy and adds more texture to the dish due to the whole grain.
With the potato arranged in a dish without piling up, season with coarse salt, distribute the mustard dressing and ends with some capers. And now only the optional touch remains, although almost essential in the television chef: some fresh herbs. No parsley this time, as he opts for a few leaves of arugula. Ready to cook the meat and serve.
The tricks to make them perfect
The recipe is not very mysterious or complicated, but Arguiñano always gives us tips and tricks from his pocket to always get it right in our kitchen, even though he has repeated them countless times throughout his career.
In a dish of this type, care must be taken that the potatoes are of a similar size and a similar shape, so that they all cook well at the same time. The temperature of the water must be constant and avoid breaking the cooking or boiling in gushes, so that they do not break or have a bad texture.
If we peel them and season when they are still hot, the potatoes will absorb more of that dressing, being much juicier and tastier. With so few ingredients, we are interested in coarse salt and old-fashioned mustard, although it does not have to be one of the spiciest: this way we will obtain a contrast of textures and a hint of crunchy. And, if we prefer, we can use capers instead of capers, or combine both pickles.
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While the meat or main course is cooking, the ideal is to keep the potatoes at room temperature, covered with plastic film, and do not store them in the fridge. If there are leftovers or we want to serve them in summer, it is preferable that they temper after going through refrigeration, because if they are very cold the flavor will be killed.
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