These Canary Island “papas” are small potatoes boiled in salty water until wrinkled.
A relative of the famous Patatas Bravas, they make a delightful snack, appetizer or side dish and even more tasty when served with a mojo rojo or mojo verde.
Photos and Recipe Credit: Amaranth Foods
These bite-sized wonders, called “papas” in the Canaries (similar to Latin America), hail from the Spanish archipelago. Introduced after Columbus’ voyages, these small potatoes are boiled in salty water, becoming infused with flavour and developing a unique texture. Perfect as an appetizer or alongside meat dishes, papas are traditionally enjoyed with red and green mojo sauces for a delightful Canarian experience.
Find more recipes at Amaranth Foods.
Papas Arrugadas
“Arrugada” means wrinkled in Spanish and describes the skin of the potatoes after being boiled in seawater. All types of baby potatoes are perfect for this recipe. Store the sauces in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and the cooked potatoes for one week.
Servings 5
Ingredients
Papas Arrugadas
- 2 lbs baby potatoes
- 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
- water to cover
Mojo Rojo
- 2 red peppers
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp paprika (smoked or regular)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp red wine, white wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 slice old bread
- salt to taste
Mojo Verde
- 2 jalapenos or 1 green bell pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro or parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 slice old bread
- 1 tbsp water
- salt to taste
Instructions
Papas Arrugadas
- Scrub the potatoes under cool water if they appear dirty.
- Add to a medium-sized pot, cover with water, and add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium-high. Boil for 30 minutes or until the water is almost completely evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and set aside. While the potatoes are boiling the sauces can be made.
Mojo Rojo
- Place the red pepper and garlic on a small tray in the oven and set to a low broil, around 450 F degrees. Let them char slightly, rotating with tongs to get all sides. They should be done after 10-15 minutes.
- Put the pepper and garlic in a plastic bag, seal and allow them to steam. Once cool, take them out and peel, discarding the skins, seeds and stems.
- Put the peppers and garlic, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a blender and puree for 1 minute or until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Mojo Verde
- Remove the stems of the peppers and chop, then put all ingredients into the blender. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth. Taste and season with salt.
- Once the sauces are ready, drain any remaining water from the potatoes and tip into a bowl. Serve with the two sauces on the side.
Notes
To make this dish into Patatas Bravas, cool the boiled potatoes and then slice them in half. Set a pan on medium heat with 2 tbsp olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or beef tallow. Add the potatoes face side down and cook until crispy around 10 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes.
The sauces for this recipe can be made ahead of time and the potatoes may be boiled the day of for an even easier appetizer. The potatoes are boiled with salt to provide a crust and to fully season them. Try one - if they are too salty, rinse before serving. The mojo verde can be on the spicy side because of the raw garlic. If this flavour is too intense, use only one clove of garlic. The mojo rojo is a mild sauce, but if more spice is wanted, use a teaspoon of chili flakes or two Desiam dried red chilis.
