This is, perhaps, one of the oldest ways to cook potatoes: directly over dying embers. If you’re lucky enough to have an open hearth or fireplace, you can roast them following tradition. But in today’s recipe, we’ll show you how to make them anytime using a standard home oven.
They make a fantastic side dish for any meal. Though if you’re a true potato lover like me, you can easily enjoy them all on their own.
From a Mediterranean perspective, once the potato was introduced to European cuisine following contact with the Americas, it quickly became a cornerstone of popular food culture and traditional countryside recipes. In fact, throughout history, its easy cultivation turned it into a vital crop that sustained generations of farmers.
In Catalonia, this way of cooking is known as Patates al Caliu. Caliu means embers or coals, the bed of ash and glowing embers left when the flames die down. And it also refers to the warmth of the home. Here, it’s extremely common to serve them alongside any barbecue, usually smothered in alioli. However, seasoned as in the recipe above, with just sea salt and a touch of sweet smoked paprika, they make a subtle and versatile side dish for any meal.
Patates al Caliu: How to Make Classic Roasted Potatoes at Home
4
raciones5
minutes1
hourIngredients
4 medium potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes
Sweet smoked paprika
Instructions
- Prick the potatoes about 4 times with a fork so they don’t burst in the oven.
- Brush the aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt flakes before wrapping each potato.
- Wrap them tightly in the foil.
- Bake in the oven at 210°C (410°F) for 60 minutes.
- Once the time is up, you should be able to cut through the potato like butter.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt flakes and sweet smoked paprika. If you like, you can also drizzle a little more olive oil on top.