You can’t go to Tenerife and the Canary Islands and not eat Papas Arrugadas (Canarian wrinkled potatoes with spicy sauce). Whoever visits the islands cannot resist this typical dish, for which you don’t use just any type of potato. Instead, you use products that have their own denomination of origin, such as the famous Papas Antiguas de Canarias (old Canarian potatoes).
The classic wrinkled potato skin that gives this dish its name is achieved by cooking the potatoes in seawater. The salt excess gives the papas (potato) a loose and arrugá (wrinkled) skin. Papas arrugadas can be eaten as a delicious appetizer with a cervezita fresca (fresh beer) or can accompany fish and meat for the main meal.
And remember, as is the Spanish food style, these tender boiled Canary Island potatoes are always accompanied by a variety of typical and tasty sauces or mojos, such as verde, rojo, or picón. Today I’m sharing my recipes for mojo verde and mojo picon. If you have extra sauce after the potatoes are gone, I highly recommend using it on scrambled eggs or on tacos. There are many delicious uses for it. This papas arrugadas recipe yields one cup of each of the green and picón sauces. Ready to learn how to make papas arrugadas?
Notes
- Traditionally, these potatoes are cooked in seawater. But you can get the same result in terms of taste and wrinkled texture by adding coarse sea salt when you cook the potatoes, partially covered.
- I promise the wrinkled potatoes won’t be excessively salty as the potatoes will absorb only the salt needed.
- In the sauces, I recommend using either sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar. But if you only have white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar on hand, they’ll do in a pinch.
FAQs
What is papas arrugadas?
Papas arrugadas is a traditional boiled potato dish from the Canary Islands. The small new potatoes are boiled in salt water and often served with a spicy sauce like mojo picon or mojo rojo, a chili pepper garlic sauce. Traditionally, papas arrugadas are served as a side dish accompanying a meat main meal.
Are Canarian potatoes healthy?
The potatoes themselves are full of fiber and relatively healthy as they’re only boiled in salt and there’s no added fat. However, the sauces both use oil, so they aren’t the healthiest.
What are the best potatoes to use in a Canarian potatoes recipe?
You want to use small thin-skinned potatoes, so Yukon Gold potatoes, new potatoes, baby potatoes (any color works), or fingerlings. Stay away from russet potatoes, as they’re too thick and starchy for this particular recipe.
Do you peel the potatoes first?
No, you don’t want to peel the potatoes. The skin is full of fiber and the wrinkled potato skin is what makes the dish so special.
How long should a potato boil?
This depends on the type of potato. You should boil small potatoes for at least 15 minutes and russet potatoes for at least 20 minutes. You’ll know your potatoes are cooked when they’re fork-tender.
Is papas arrugadas vegan?
Yes, this papas arrugadas recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
How do you serve papas arrugadas?
Canarian wrinkly potatoes are the perfect side dish to accompany any sort of meat main meal. Here are some suggestions:
- For fish, try baked halibut or grilled swordfish.
- For chicken, try roasted chicken, grilled chicken, instant pot paprika chicken, and skillet chicken.
- Grilled lamp chops
How do you store, freeze, and reheat papas arrugadas?
Store leftover wrinkled potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat papas arrugadas in a skillet, 350-degree oven, or air fryer until heated through.
Another option is to freeze the boiled potatoes for up to six months. Ensure they’re double-wrapped to avoid freezer burn or stored in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.
As for the sauces, you can store them in airtight containers or jars in the fridge for up to four days. But please note that mojo picon does get spicier the longer it sits, so prepare your tastebuds!
Spanish Potatoes with Spicy Sauce (Papas Arrugadas)
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
- 2¼ lbs baby potatoes, washed
- ¼ cup coarse salt
For the Mojo Picón
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled, halved lengthwise, and germ removed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Dried chipotle pepper
For the Green Mojo
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled, halved lengthwise, and germ removed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 handful fresh parsley
Instructions
- For the potatoes, add them to a large wide pot so that they are in a single layer instead of piled on top of each other (the result is better this way). Next, add the salt. Then add water until the potatoes are covered. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. As soon as the water boils, put a lid, tilted to one side, on the pan so the steam can escape.
- Make the sauces while the potatoes cook.
- For the red mojo, in a blender, blend the garlic, cumin, salt, and red pepper until chopped. Then add the wine vinegar and half the oil. While the blender is running, add the rest of the oil, a little at a time, while increasing and decreasing the blending speed. This creates a creamy sauce. Add the chipotle and blend until it’s combined. Transfer the sauce to a small serving dish.
- For the green sauce, in a blender, blend the garlic, cumin, salt, and green bell pepper until chopped. Then add the red wine vinegar and half the oil. While the blender is running, add the rest of the oil, a little at a time, while increasing and decreasing the blending speed. This creates a creamy sauce. Add the parsley and blend until it’s combined. Transfer the sauce to a small serving dish.
- When the potatoes are tender, drain most of the water from them, leaving a quarter-inch at the bottom. Let the water evaporate to leave a thin layer of salt on the potatoes.
- Arrange the potatoes on a serving platter alongside the two sauces.
Nutrition
About the Author: Sara Gourchane
