Patates d’Olot (Potatoes)

Holaaa!

In Catalonia, we have a very popular dish you can find at most supermarkets or at a specialty meat store. The dish is called patates d’Olot, (potatoes from Olot.) A simple dish with two slices of potato filled with a meat mixture inside. In Spain, we’ll use a veal and pork combination. I found a veal, pork and beef mixture at my local market.

Olot is a Spanish city located in the province of Gerona. Olot is also called the capital of volcanoes since it is nestled between four of them!

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients for 4 (makes about 16 individual pieces):

– 2.2 Ibs big potatoes (1 kg)

– 0.6 Ibs of a mix of ground pork, veal and beef (change the mixture to suit your tastes)

– 2 medium onions

– 2 ripe tomatoes (get them fresh, now is the season!)

– 1 slice of white bread without crust

– milk (approximately 1/4 cup)

– salt and pepper

– olive oil

-2 cups vegetable or canola oil

– 1/2 cup vino rancio (a very sweet-style spanish wine, you can substitute riesling or similar)

– pinch of ground nutmeg

– 2 to 3 egg whites

The filling:

– Soak a slice of white bread in a bowl with the milk and leave it aside.

– Grate the onions and add them to a medium pan with a little olive oil and cook over medium heat. In a separate bowl, grate the tomatoes. Once the onions start turning brown, add the tomatoes and cook for another minute or two.

– Add the meat and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir. Once the meat looks cooked add the wine, stir and let it reduce.

– Once the wine has reduced, add the slice of white bread. Stir to mix it and remove from the heat. The filling is ready.

Potatoes:

– Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/4 of an inch thick. Cook them in a large pan with the 2 cups of vegetable or canola oil on high heat. Once the potatoes are almost cooked but not quite browned (about 3 to 4 minutes), remove them from the pan, and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.

– Repeat this process until all the potatoes are cooked.

– Spread a layer of the meat mixture onto a potato slice and then add a slice of potato on top to make it like a sandwich. Carefully, press it with your hands. Repeat this process with the rest of the potatoes.

– Beat the egg whites. Dip the potatoes into the egg whites and fry them for in the oil for 2 minutes (1 minute each side to brown them). Remove them from the pan, and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.