Salsa brava recipe: the sauce for the patatas bravas

Salsa brava is a characteristic sauce of Spanish cuisine and has a spicy taste. Among its main ingredients we find olive oil, tomato, sweet paprika and hot paprika or cayenne pepper. However, there is no defined amount of the ingredients to make salsa brava, it can be more or less spicy depending on what the chef wants.

In Madrid it is very common to have a portion of patatas bravas as a tapa with a refreshing drink. Who doesn’t like good potatoes with salsa brava? But the sauce is not always as “brava” as we would like… We leave you with an easy and tasty recipe to prepare at home.

Ingredients for the salsa brava:

  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 cayenne peppers
  • 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
  • A glass of crushed tomato
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Vinegar

How to make Salsa Brava:

  1. In a frying pan with a teaspoon of oil, add the chopped onion and cook until it becomes transparent.
  2. Then you have to add the cayenne (adding more or less depending on how spicy you like it).
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika, mixing well with the onion.
  4. Add in the tomato and sugar. Put it back on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring well.
  5. Dissolve the flour in a glass of cold water and incorporate it into the salsa, and let it cook for 15 minutes.
  6. Add a teaspoon of vinegar once it has finished cooking, and stir.
  7. When the sauce is warm, mix it well.
  8. Salsa brava is usually served with a classic: potatoes. You can peel a couple of potatoes, dice them and fry them to accompany the sauce. It could also be a good option to take mixas, that is, potatoes with brava sauce and homemade aioli.

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