Bravas Sauce (Salsa Brava)
You might recognize bravas sauce from the popular tapa, patatas bravas: fried potatoes smothered in a spicy red sauce. What you might not know is that the sauce takes just a few ingredients, very little effort, and barely any time to whip up! And while it’s traditionally served on potatoes, you can try this piquant condiment on so many things, like fish or even vegetables! This recipe will yield just over a cup of sauce.
Servings: 16 tablespoons
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes, more or less to your liking
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, I used red wine vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium pan or skillet, heat about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and cook, tossing around until the garlic has turned golden brown and the oil is just shimmering (about a couple of minutes).
- Remove the garlic from the pan and discard or keep for other uses.
- Lower the heat and add the tomato paste, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and cornstarch, whisk to combine. Slowly add the vegetable broth and keep whisking until the broth is incorporated and the sauce has a smooth and somewhat creamy consistency. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, whisk again, and remove from the heat.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or drizzle over your patatas bravas or transfer to a mason jar to store. Allow the sauce to cool before transferring to the fridge.
Notes
- This sauce is meant to be somewhat creamy but not too thick. And it will get thicker as it sits. If it is too runny as you are finishing it, you can add a little bit more cornstarch but be careful as it can get too thick.
- For a less spicy option, use less red pepper flakes. For more heat, use more, or add some hot smoked paprika.
- How to use bravas sauce: The traditional way to use salsa brava is when you make patatas bravas. But I like to use it on pan-seared salmon or sauteed cabbage as well!
- How to store and reheat salsa brava: Store the sauce in a mason jar for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer it to a pan and reheat over medium heat. It will have thickened in the fridge, so feel free to whisk in some water or broth (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach the consistency you want.
- Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils, spices, and grains.
Nutrition
Calories: 34.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.2g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 3.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Sodium: 69.1mg | Potassium: 19.9mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 206.8IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 2.1mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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