If you’ve ever gone for tapas, you’ve most likely had patatas bravas, the crispy, spiced, roasted potatoes served with a smokey aioli. And you most likely loved them. They’re the crowd pleaser of the tapas world, for good reason; they’re simple and delicious. This meal [this recipe for rosemary-paprika chicken and fries] has those potatoes and that aioli, but it extends the flavors to chicken as well. Considering I’m always saying I want more of the mini tapas dish, turning it into a full meal is ideal.
Stir together 1/2 c. mayonnaise, the zest from one lemon, 3 cloves of garlic (grated), and salt and pepper. Transfer half of the mayonnaise mixture to a medium bow, stir in 1 tbsp smoked paprika (smoked is key here – not regular), 1 tsp chopped rosemary, 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes, and black pepper. Add chicken (the recipe calls for skin-on, bone-in breasts, but i just used boneless skinless since it’s healthier, easier, and, in full transparency, the only type they had at the grocery store) to the bowl of paprika-mayonnaise, and get it nice and covered. Now it’s time to prep the fries by cutting one russet potato into ¼-inch-thick pieces and coat with oil. Place the chicken on one half of a sheet pan and the fries on the other (or add another veggie, like I did). Roast at 425 for about 30 minutes. (If you use skin-on, bone-in chicken, refer to the original recipe for cooking times.) While the meal cooks, stir the juice of half a lemon into the remaining mayonnaise mixture so you have a deliciously garlicky dipping sauce that you’ll dunk every bit of this meal into.
I’m all for taking the best part of a tapas dish and emphasizing it into a full blown meal. I also love any meal that comes with a dipping sauce, you know that. And the smokiness of this! A simple spice can impart so much flavor. There aren’t a lot of ingredients here and none of them are particularly strange or difficult to find (maybeeee fresh rosemary isn’t always in stock?), but don’t skimp on any of them because each plays an important role in what is going to become an important meal in our house.
Peaches to Apples 