Spiced Up Spanish Potatoes

Oh dear god, these potatoes make me want to cream myself. They're so good. This is my take on the Spanish classic of Patatas Bravas. The name means Brave Potatoes, duh, and implies that you must be very manly to eat these potatoes because they are so hot (temperature-wise, although you could turn up the chili heat). I made them tonight and they were so effing good I have to share them, not matter how much I would like to be greedy and keep them for myself. Here you are!



To start, get...
3 large baking potatoes
7 cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp chili flake
S&P

Okay heat up your oven to 500 degrees. Grease a cookie pan (preferably with a lip around the edge) with olive oil. Pour a little of the olive oil in the center of the pan and spread around with a paper towel for even coverage. Put that aside while the oven heats. Next get a deep pot for bowling taters in, fill 3/4 with water and 1/4 cup of salt (for flava!) and put on high to boil.

Take those tatoes and scrub the dirt off of them. Next cut in half lengthwise and again lengthwise so you have quarters. Now take the quarters and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Drop all the cubes into the water (whether it's boiling or not) and leave that alone until they boil. Don't let them cook all the way through. You're going to roast them in the oven for a bit so don't let them go all the way. The outside should be soft and the inside still crunchy, if that's a good word for it.

While those are boiling chop up your seven garlic cloves into a nice mince and add to a small pot of olive oil over medium low heat. Also add the chili flake. They should sizzle but oil should not splatter. Let those go until they brown and become sweet smelling. Stir every now and then. When they are brown put the heat on low and add the cumin, chili powder and S&P. You can leave that on low but make sure it's not actively sizzling.

When they're at that point dump them in a colander and rinse in cold water. Let sit for a bit so that the residual heat dries the outside of the potatoes just a bit then move them to your pan and add salt and pepper liberally to the outside. Roast for about fifteen minutes or until the undersides of the potatoes are golden. Add the olive oil and garlic, toss and DEVOUR!

NOTE: These are a great side dish and because there is alot of inactive cooking time (time when you're not doing anything) you can prepare other parts of the meal while they do their thing.