Bravas Sauce | Salsa Brava | Super Easy Homemade Bravas Recipe
How to Make Bravas Sauce | Salsa Brava | Super Easy Homemade Bravas Recipe
Bravas Sauce | Salsa Brava | Super Easy Homemade Bravas Recipe – This sauce is bright red and slightly spicy. The word Bravas is the feminine plural of bravo ‘fierce’, probably with reference to the spicy sauce.
Serve this recipe over fried potatoes to create your own Spanish classic Patatas Bravas tapas at home.
Or, simply use it as a complement to your tapas with patatas alioli, as a dipping sauce or in your own sandwiches and recipes.
What is bravas sauce or salsa brava?
This is a tomato-based sauce that incorporates chili peppers and spiced with paprika along with a few other flavour building ingredients.
It is said, in Spain there are at least 386 different recipes for Salsa Brava, with and without onion, with and without garlic, with and without vinegar, and most of them top secret.
They also say that the quality of a restaurant or bar standing is ascertained by their salsa bravas sauce recipe used in their patatas bravas.
I did try this recipe a couple of times and I like it. It doesn’t only taste good on Patatas Bravas, but it is also good for dipping.
What can I serve homemade bravas sauce with?
It is obvious you can not make patatas bravas without the bravas sauce or salsa brava. Salsa brava is really a versatile sauce that you can use in so many different ways. It’s tomatoey and spicy in all the right ways.
Crispy French Fries & Delicious Tomato Ketchup. See you later sometime!
What is the story behind the bravas sauce?
It is believed that bravas sauce was originated in Madrid along with the hugely popular patatas bravas.
You just have to drizzle this iconic sauce over some fried potatoes to create this simple, flavourful, and satisfying Spanish classic.
In Catalonia and Valencia the bravas sauce recipe is made with olive oil, chili, paprika and vinegar.
The important thing is that it’s spicy, in fact it’s name “bravas” makes allusion to this. In the Spanish language, brava means fierce, ferocious, angry.
Some attribute the creation of salsa brava or bravas sauce to “Casa Pellico” and others say that it was created and served in “La Casona”, both Madrid bars now defunct.
What is certain is that it was around 1960 and that the queues around these two bars just to try the patatas bravas were not too mythical.
How can I store bravas sauce?
Since bravas is made with fresh tomatoes & garlic, your homemade bravas sauce should be kept under refrigeration. It stays well in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you are using vacuum sealed jars, it would stay good for 2 weeks.
Can I freeze salsa brava or bravas sauce?
Yes! You can. Pour leftover bravas sauce ice cubes trays. If you want, you could cover the tray loosely with a parchment paper or foil before freezing.
Once they are frozen, remove them and keep in an airtight box or a sealed zip-lock bag in the freezer. Just pop in the cubes on the top of any dish you want to use salsa brava in.
Homemade Bravas Sauce Recipe or Simple Salsa Brava Recipe
Get your ingredients ready to make bravas sauce | Simple homemade salsa brava
Get one cup of tomato concasse ready for salsa brava.
Mince the garlic finely. You can even mash it. Simply sprinkle garlic with salt and mash to a paste using your chef’s knife. Finely chop the onions. (4 minutes)
Add the garlic to a saucepan and cook for a minute. You’ll be able to smell the fragrance of garlic when done. (1 minute)
Add the onions and red chilli peppers and cook them till softened. (5-6) minutes
Add the smoked paprika, hot paprika, tomato concasse, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and honey (if using). Stir. (1 minute)
Reduce the flame to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (10 minutes)
Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and blend till smooth. Serve on top of patatas bravas.
Bravas Sauce | Salsa Brava | Super Easy Homemade Bravas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 piece red chili pepper coarsely chopped
- 1 piece onion medium coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
- 2 cup tomato concasse made fresh
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 0.5 teaspoon sea salt please adjust salt to suit your taste
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Get your ingredients ready to make bravas sauce | Simple homemade salsa brava
- Get one cup of tomato concasse ready for salsa brava.
- Mince the garlic finely. You can even mash it. Simply sprinkle garlic with salt and mash to a paste using your chef’s knife. Finely chop the onions. (4 minutes)
- Add the garlic to a saucepan and cook for a minute. you’ll be able to smell the fragrance of garlic when done. (1 minute)
- Add the onions and red chilli peppers and cook them till softened. (5-6) minutes
- Add the smoked paprika, hot paprika, tomato concasse, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and honey (if using). Stir. (1 minute)
- Reduce the flame to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (10 minutes)
- Transfer the bravas sauce to a food processor or blender and blend till smooth. Serve on top of patatas bravas.
Tools & Equipment Used For This Recipe
If you don’t have an immersion blender with a cup handy, you can make the salsa brava in your food processor.
For more such ideas and reviews, please visit kitchen essentials.
FINALLY, TO SUM IT UP
Bravas Sauce | Salsa Brava | Super Easy Homemade Bravas Recipe – Bravas sauce is bright red and slightly spicy. The word Bravas is the feminine plural of bravo ‘fierce’, probably with reference to the spicy sauce.
Traditionally, this sauce is made of olive oil, spicy pimentón (smoked paprika), stock, and a little flour as a thickener. Modern recipes add tomatoes instead of stock and flour for more depth and a little tang.
Serve this sauce over fried potatoes to create your own Spanish classic Patatas Bravas tapas at home.
Or use as a complement to your tapas, as a dipping sauce or in your own sandwiches and recipes.
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4 comments
Fantastic! I could think of so many uses of using this sauce, but I think my favourite place to start is for dunkin’ fries
Enjoy Dawn :)
This bravas sauce is best when made fresh at home with fresh ingredients. This is an awesome post with the simplicity in making it. I will have to try it with my patatas this evening itself. Cheers to beer
Thank you Paul. Cheers :)