There are dishes that deceive with their name. the Potatoes are important It sounds like a solemn recipe, a Sunday table and an embroidered tablecloth, but their story tells just the opposite: they were born as a family. A humble dishan indoor kitchen resource for turning cheap ingredients into comforting stews. Over time, the dish passed from house to house, was taught in hospitality schools and ended up becoming one of the most representative preparations in the country. Castilian cuisine. Today, it has become part of those recipes that seem simple, but hide a series of basic techniques: dough, frying and cooking without haste.
In many areas of the northern peninsula – especially in Valencia and around Alto Campo – the recipe was passed down almost by heart. Families repeated this over and over to flip the potatoes, as was necessary every day, into the center of the plate. And therein lies part of its charm: it’s a Potato stew Which were never intended as an appetizer, but rather as a main course.
A popular origin turned potatoes into a main dish
before Potatoes are important Widespread throughout half of Spain, potatoes have been the wild card of humble kitchens: they nourish, fill, and withstand any technique. But in Valencia they have learned to give it an unexpected twist. Instead of boiling it, roasting it, or accompanying it with meat, they turn it into a crunchy, delicate snack that’s packed with flavour. The trick was to change her traditional role: to stop accompanying and become the protagonist.
This gesture, which was wrapping potatoes in flour and eggs, was a way to honor her. The mixture not only adds texture, but also acts as a barrier allowing the slice to maintain its shape while cooking. Here the true identity of this man appears. A humble dish: A stew capable of transforming everyday life into something extraordinary. Although its origins are rural, today’s cooking schools use it as a perfect example of how humble ingredients can be elevated through fine process.
in Castilian cuisineRecipes depend on usage, and this dish has remained intact over generations. Maybe because it doesn’t need anything more than time, an honest frying pan and a good frying pan.
ingredients
- Potatoes 800 g
- Eggs 2
- Onions 100 g
- 2 garlic cloves
- Extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
- White wine 125 ml
- Saffron 0.5 grams
- Fresh parsley
- Salt as desired
Step by step: preparing potatoes for the important
- Preparing potatoes. Peel the potatoes, wash and cut them into slices about one centimeter thick. Season them with a little salt.
- Classic mixture. Put the flour in a plate and beat the eggs in another plate. Dip each slice first in flour and then in eggs.
- Initial frying. Fry the potatoes in hot oil until browned and slightly golden. We take it out carefully so that the mixture does not break and set it aside.
- Aromatic mash. In a mortar, mash garlic cloves with saffron, parsley and a pinch of salt. You will be left with a fragrant paste that will be the basis of the soup.
- Fry slowly. In a pot, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Fry the finely chopped onions until they start turning brown. Add a tablespoon of flour and stir.
- Incorporate the pestle. Add the puree to the sauce and mix until well integrated with the onions.
- Wine and broth. Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Then add the broth needed to cover the potatoes later.
- Final cooking. Place the boiled potatoes in the bowl, being careful not to break them. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Move the bowl in short circular motions to prevent it from sticking.
- Ready to serve.
A dish that satisfies, comforts, and works best fresh
the Potatoes are important They have survived in culinary lore for more than just nostalgia. They work. It’s a filling, warming dish that has that deep flavor that only slow stews can achieve. They’re fresh, maintaining the perfect balance between the outer layer — slightly crunchy thanks to the batter and previous frying — and the soft interior that absorbs the sauce.
Although the dish was born as a main recipe, today it is also used as an accompaniment to meat or fish. But where its essence is truly revealed is in the center of the table, served hot without letting it cool. Their simplicity is their strength: they do not seek attention, they only seek to do well what they promise.
As is the case with many dishes in Castilian cuisineHe explained it not in innovation, but in respect for the process. In understanding that a A humble dish It can be exciting if treated carefully. And in accepting that there are recipes that do not require frills to remain alive for generations.