These fully vegan patatas bravas served with a super creamy garlic aioli and a spicy tomato sauce are the most perfect summer side dish in the world (or at least, in España!!)
Place the soy milk and half of the lemon juice in a cup which is suitable for use with a stick/hand blender.In a mortar and pestle place the garlic, salt and remaining lemon juice. Grind until the garlic is nice and crushed - it doesn’t need to be smooth.
Add the garlic mixture to the soy milk mixture and stir together. Give this mixture a quick blitz with the stick blender to combine, then with the blender still running gradually pour in the oil in a very slow stream and continue to blend until the mixture is nice and thick. Set aside.
To Make the Tomato Sauce
Place a medium saucepan over a medium/low heat. Add the oil and bring to temperature. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until soft before adding the garlic and the chilli. Fry for another few minutes until the onions begin to brown.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and paprika. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered for around 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure it isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. It should be thick and chunky when ready.
If you’d like a less chunky texture, use a potato masher to reduce the size of the tomato chunks before adding the vinegar and stirring. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To Make the Potatoes
Peel and cut the potatoes into irregular cubes, around 1-2 cm on the longest side. Bring a medium pot of water (around a 1.5 litreto a boil. Once boiling, add the baking soda.
Add the potatoes and wait for the water to come back up to boil before setting a timer for 5 minutes. Once boiled, drain the potatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and, using a spatula, flip the potatoes around to slightly roughen up the outside.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium/high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the potatoes and fry, turning regularly, until they’re gently browned all over (7-10 minutes). Once cooked and browned, remove the potatoes and lay them on a few layers of kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.
Season with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt before plating up. Top with a few big spoons of the aioli followed by the tomato sauce and a sprinkle of chives. Enjoy!