Patatas a la importancia – potatoes in garlic and saffron sauce

Weigh the potatoes after peeling, wash them and cut into even slices about 1 cm thick. Dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel and sprinkle with their allocated 2 g salt. Finely chop the onion and divide the parsley according to the stated amounts.

Put 60 g flour on one plate and beat the weighed eggs on another, combining the whites and yolks. Set the remaining 10 g flour aside separately for the sauce. Working in batches, coat the potatoes first with flour, shaking off the excess, then with egg. Let excess egg drip off so the coating is not too thick. Transfer the coated slices straight to the frying pan; leave unused coating flour and egg out of the dish.

In a frying pan about 24 cm across, heat 200 g olive oil to form a shallow layer for frying. The coating should sizzle as soon as a slice is added, but not darken rapidly. Fry in three or four uncrowded batches for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly golden and the coating has set. Adjust the heat so the flour does not burn. The potatoes remain raw in the center at this stage. Lift out with a wide spatula onto a plate lined with paper towels. Do not add the oil left in the pan or the fat on the paper to the sauce.

While frying, pound the garlic, saffron threads, 4 g parsley and 2 g salt in a mortar to make a moist paste. Pour in 50 g hot water and stir, gathering the seasonings from the sides. Set aside for a few minutes to let the saffron release its aroma. If you do not have a mortar, chop the ingredients very finely and crush them with the flat side of a knife, then combine with the water in a small bowl.

In a wide saucepan or deep frying pan with a lid, about 30 cm across, heat the separately measured 30 g olive oil. Add the onion and the final 2 g salt. Cook over medium-low heat for about 8–10 minutes, until the onion softens and begins to turn lightly golden. Sprinkle in the reserved 10 g clean flour and stir for a minute. Add the entire contents of the mortar, then gradually pour in the remaining 650 g hot water, stirring so the sauce has no lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Carefully slide the fried slices into the sauce. Arrange in one or two loose layers, without stacking them high; the liquid should reach almost to the tops of the potatoes. Once it returns to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and braise for about 25–30 minutes. Gently rock the whole pan from time to time rather than stirring with a spoon. The potatoes are ready when a thin knife passes easily through the center of a slice. If they still resist, cook for a few minutes longer. If the potatoes are tender but the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the last few minutes and let it thicken gently.

Take the pan off the heat and leave for about 5 minutes to let the sauce settle a little. Sprinkle with the remaining 4 g chopped parsley. Divide the potatoes into four servings and spoon over all the onion sauce, transferring the slices with a wide spatula to preserve their delicate coating.