Spanish chef Oriol swears his garlic potatoes are better than fries
In a piping hot pot, the aroma of garlic sizzling in oil, followed by the scent of paprika, is enough to understand why Spanish chef Oriol Barnau claims his potatoes are better than a fast-food cone.
The secret isn't a gimmick, but a traditional touch: picada, a Catalan paste made with bread, dried fruit, and garlic, added at the end of cooking. In a detailed recipe published by the women's website aufeminin, the chef asserts that these potatoes are "better than French fries." With their golden crust, meltingly tender center, and thick sauce that coats every slice, they clearly change the way we think about serving them with roast chicken or fish.
Why Oriol's garlic potatoes make you forget about fries
Here, the potato isn't just crispy on the outside. The centimeter-thick slices are first browned in oil with garlic, then simmered in hot chicken broth. They absorb the garlic, cumin, sweet paprika, and crushed dried fruit, becoming almost creamy inside, coated in a rich, fragrant sauce. The Maillard reaction, described by the Catalan media outlet Modernetdigital, creates that thin, golden crust reminiscent of a French fry, but without the deep-frying.
Another advantage: the cooking process is primarily in liquid, with a precisely measured amount of oil. For those seeking an alternative to deep-frying, this method retains the deliciousness of potatoes while minimizing splattering and the temptation to plunge another fryer into the pan. Firm-fleshed potatoes, recommended in the recipe, maintain their shape after the initial 10 minutes of simmering, followed by the final 5 minutes with the picada (a type of slicing), and then a 10-minute rest off the heat.
The key ingredients and secret of Catalan picada
For four people, the basic recipe remains simple, almost rustic, but very precise:
- 5 medium-sized firm-fleshed potatoes
- 8 to 10 cloves of garlic
- 30g of hazelnuts or almonds
- 1 small slice of bread
Picada is a Catalan paste used to thicken and flavor sauces at the end of cooking. In Oriol Barnau's version, it combines toasted bread, hazelnuts or almonds, parsley, sautéed garlic, cumin, and paprika, all pounded together with a little hot stock. The goal is to obtain a smooth paste: if it's too thick, add a spoonful of stock; if it's too runny, add a little more bread. A small food processor works very well without a mortar and pestle, provided you pulse it to maintain a rustic texture.
4-step method and tips to avoid failure
It all starts with the garlic: the crushed cloves should just turn golden in the oil, never brown, or they'll become bitter. The potato slices, about 1 cm thick, are then browned on both sides before being set aside. They go back into the pot, covered with hot broth, for about ten minutes over medium heat. The Argentinian website TN notes that the entire recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare, including resting time, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Then comes the grandmother's trick: add the picada, shake the pot rather than stirring with a spoon to avoid breaking the slices, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Off the heat, let it rest for at least 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and the flavors meld. Vegetable broth easily replaces chicken broth for a vegetarian version, and the nuts can be omitted by increasing the amount of bread. The dish keeps for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator, and, as the original recipe amusingly notes, the sauce becomes even creamier the next day.