Poor Man's Potatoes - known in Spain as "patatas a lo pobre" - is a classic Andalusian tapas made with thinly sliced potatoes which are fried in olive oil along with onion and peppers. Perfect to enjoy with your favourite grilled protein, or for sharing along with other tapas like Roasted beetroot with hazelnuts, orange, yoghurt and honey or Spanish omelette "tortilla español"
This is a humble and comforting dish. As with Spanish omelette, don't be put off by the amount of olive oil used; you can drain it off and use it later for cooking.
Poor man's potatoes ingredients
- Potatoes - waxy potatoes work best as they hold their shape when cooked and won't fall apart. See suggested varieties for more information.
- Onion - adds a good depth of flavour and sweetness.
- Capsicum/peppers - traditionally only green is used, but I like to use a mixture of red and green.
- Extra virgin olive oil - you can substitute this for regular olive oil if you would prefer a more mild taste. The oil is an important component and for this reason, I'd suggest against using another vegetable or seed oil.
- Garlic - sliced or minced. We add this right before serving, so the garlic doesn't turn bitter.
- Parsley - optional, stir it through at the end to brighten it up a bit.
Step-by-step guide to making poor man's potatoes
Prep ingredients - peel and thinly slice the potatoes to around 3-4mm thick (1/6"), ideally using a mandoline or food processor. Slice the capsicum/bell peppers and onion, and slice or mince the garlic. Slice the parsley, if using.
Cook vegetables - add the oil to a large (12") skillet (1), along with the potato, capsicum/bell pepper and onions (2). Stir well (3) and turn the heat on to medium. Cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, for around 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Keep an eye on the temperature and reduce it if anything starts to brown - the goal is for the potatoes to become tender and lightly golden but not crispy.
Add garlic - when the potato is ready, add the garlic and stir through. Cook for a further minute or until fragrant.
Drain oil from the vegetables, using a strainer or colander over a large bowl.
Serve - transfer to a serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and scatter with parsley if using. Serve hot.
Tips
- Keep an eye on how the potatoes and veg are cooking. A small amount browning is OK, but you're not trying to brown the vegetables.
- Stir regularly to make sure the vegetables cook evenly and don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Save the oil you cook with; it's perfect for roasting or sauteing vegetables. It will pick up a sweet flavour from the capsicum/peppers and onion.
Best potato varieties for poor man's potatoes
Use a waxy potato that won't fall apart while frying.
- Australia - Pink eyes, Nicola, Bintje, red potatoes.
- US - Yukon gold, red potatoes.
- UK - Charlotte, Desirée.
What's the best type of pan to use for poor man's potatoes?
This recipe was written for a large 12" skillet. You can use a smaller pan, but you will likely need to cook in batches.
It's important that you use a heavy-bottomed skillet. Because you're cooking at a low heat for a long period of time, you want to make sure that heat is evenly distributed around the pan.
Can I cut back on the amount of oil I use?
Yes, try this:
- Rather than slice the potatoes, cut them into large dice. Boil until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and allow to dry.
- Cook the recipe as written, but use 1/3 cup of oil and don't add the potato at the start. Sauté the onion and capsicum/peppers and allow to soften.
- When the onions and peppers are soft, add the potatoes. They will likely absorb most of the oil - you can add a little more if you like - and cook for a few minutes until they are warmed back through and have absorbed some of the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and then serve.
if you want to reduce the oil further, dice the potatoes and then boil until tender, around 15-20 minutes. Sauté the onion and capsicum/peppers in 2 tbsp of oil. When the onion and capsicum are softened, add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and parsley and toss well to combine.
Make ahead, reheating and freezing
Potato oxidizes quickly, so if you prepare ahead of time make sure you keep them in water - you can do this up to a day in advance. Make sure you thoroughly drain and dry on paper towel before adding to the oil to avoid having oil splashed everywhere.
Cooked potatoes will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a microwave using medium heat, or covered with aluminium foil in the oven at 160C (320F) for around 30 minutes until warmed through.
Poor Man's potatoes are not suitable for freezing.
Poor Man's Potatoes "Patatas a lo Pobre"
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mins | 30 mins | 40 mins |
- 1kg waxy potatoes, thinly sliced about 4-5mm or 1/6", see note 1
- 200g green capsicum/bell pepper, sliced around 1 average capsicum, see note 2
- 200g red capsicum/bell pepper, sliced around 1 average capsicum, see note 2
- 275g large onion, sliced around 1 large onion or 2 medium, see note 2
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil sub for regular olive oil, see note 3
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley, finely sliced optional, around 15g
- Prep ingredients - peel and thinly slice the potatoes to around 3-4mm thick (1/6"), ideally using a mandoline or food processor. Slice the capsicum/bell peppers and onion, and slice or mince the garlic. Slice the parsley, if using.
- Cook vegetables - add the oil to a large (12") skillet, along with the potato, capsicum/bell pepper and onions. Stir well and turn the heat on to medium. Cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, for around 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Keep an eye on the temperature and reduce it if anything starts to brown - the goal is for the potatoes to become tender and lightly golden but not crispy.
- Add garlic - when the potato is ready, add the garlic and stir through. Cook for a further minute or until fragrant.
- Drain oil from the vegetables, using a strainer or colander over a large bowl.
- Serve - transfer to a serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and scatter with parsley if using. Serve hot.
- Potatoes - waxy potatoes are best, because they won't break apart as easily. I like to keep the skin on where possible - remove any eyes or funky bits with your peeler before slicing. Some suggestions include Australia: Pink eyes, nicola, bintje. US: Yukon gold, UK: Charlotte, Desirée.
- Vegetable weights - I suggest weighing the capsicum and onion and getting close to the weights I've indicated to ensure a good balance of ingredients.
- Oil - don't be alarmed by the amount of oil used - most of it will be drained off. You can reuse the leftover oil for cooking. If you're going to substitute the extra virgin the only other oil I would suggest is regular olive oil. Don't use a seed oil or other vegetable oil (i.e. canola, sunflower).
- Oil safety - be careful when frying as oil can cause severe burns. You need to be particularly careful to not spill oil over the side of the skillet if you're using a gas burner. If you're unsure about how to safely fry with gas, I suggest you use a large pot for the frying.
- Oil temperature - ensure you don't cook the potatoes and vegetables at too high of a heat. You don't want to brown or colour anything.
- Reduced oil - dice potatoes and boil for 15-20 minutes until tender. Sauté the onion and capsicum/peppers in 1/3 cup of oil. When the onion and capsicum are softened, add the potato and cook until the oil is mostly absorbed and potatoes have warmed through. Add garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds, stirring, and then add the parsley and toss well to combine.
- Even less oil - if you want to reduce the oil further, dice the potatoes and then boil until tender, around 15-20 minutes. Sauté the onion and capsicum/peppers in 2 tbsp of oil. When the onion and capsicum are softened, add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and parsley and toss well to combine.
