Andalusian Potato Stew

Often referred to as "carnerete de patatas," this is one of Spain's lesser-known recipes. It's flavorful, simple to prepare, and sure to warm your heart. You can serve it as an appetizer or as a side dish alongside some pan-grilled fish.

Annotated Cooking Notes:

A key tip for this dish is to avoid overfilling the pot with broth; just cover the ingredients. Additionally, the garlic bread mixture is where all the flavor comes from.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)

2 slices baguette (1 inch / 2.50 cm thick each)

6 cloves of garlic

1 kg waxy potatoes (peeled) (2 1/4 lbs)

2 bay leaves

1 liter vegetable broth (4 1/4 cups)

1 tsp dried oregano (1 gram)

1/2 tsp ground cumin (1.50 grams)

1/4 tsp saffron threads (0.17 grams)

sea salt & black pepper

chopped parsley for garnish

1. Heat a stockpot on medium heat and add the olive oil

2. After a couple of minutes, add in the slices of baguette and the cloves of garlic, fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly golden

3. In the meantime, cut the potatoes into rounds that are 1 cm thick (a little over 1/4 inch)

4. Once the slices of baguette and garlic are lightly golden fried, remove from the stockpot and set aside

5. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in the sliced potatoes and bay leaves, mix continuously, after 5 minutes, when the potatoes are lightly sautéed, season with salt & pepper, mix together, then add in the broth, just enough to barely cover the potatoes, raise to a high heat, and give it a gentle mix

6. While the broth is heating, add the fried cloves of garlic into a mortar, along with the oregano, ground cumin, saffron, and a pinch of salt, using a pestle, pound down on the ingredients until the garlic is well mashed, then add in the fried slices of baguette, and continue to pound on the ingredients until you get a paste-like texture, you can also use a food processor or hand blender

7. Once the broth comes to a boil, add in the bread and garlic mixture, give it a mix until well mixed together, then place a lid on the stockpot and lower to a low-medium heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through

8. Transfer into shallow bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!