Papas arrugadas, also known as Canarian Potatoes, basically means 'wrinkled potatoes' and it's a traditional potato dish that you will find across all the Canary islands. Boiled and salted new potatoes smothered in a spicy and smoky red pepper sauce (you can use a green mojo sauce instead if you want it more mild).
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They are called wrinkled potatoes because they are cooked in very salty water so they shrivel up and then they are left to steam in the pan once drained, so the salt gives them a bit of a crusty skin. They are then covered in a delicious sauce that you will want to put on everything!
Just because you might not be on holiday now, doesn't mean you can't enjoy all the same flavours.
For more Spanish recipes, try our delicious Albondigas Meatballs, quick Gambas Pil Pil or our super easy Spanish Rice.
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What are Canarian Potatoes?
Canarian potatoes are basically salty small potatoes and then they are smothered with a sauce - either Mojo Picon (which is what we have used) or Mojo Verde (which is a milder herby sauce).
The reason why they are so salty is because when they were originally made, they were made with seawater because fresh water was often short on the Canary islands and they made the best they could with what they had. Luckily it resulted in super delicious potatoes.
If you have had them when you have been in the Canaries, then these might not taste exactly the same. The recipe will differ depending on the potatoes and salt used and the water to salt ratio used.
Why You Will Love Them
- A delicious way to use potatoes
- A great side dish for a BBQ
- Easy to make sauce
- Just one saucepan and a blender needed
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Potatoes - For this dish, you need small, quick cooking potatoes like new or baby potatoes.
- Roasted red pepper - We have used roasted red peppers in a jar, as they are just as good and it makes the sauce much easier to make. You could roast your own peppers if you prefer though.
- Garlic - There are 6 garlic cloves in this recipe, but it really does need it. The sauce is garlic heavy but that is a good thing. You could always reduce it if garlic isn't your thing. Fresh is always best, but you could use ready crushed in a jar if you prefer.
- Chilli - We have used 2 small red chillies, and this sauce has got a really kick of heat in it. If you don't like anything spicy, then you could just use one, or leave it out completely.
- Oil - Try to use the best quality olive oil that you can as you really will be able to taste the difference. This is a lot of oil, but that is the base of the sauce.
- Salt - There is a lot of salt in this recipe, but it is to get the wrinkly skins on the potatoes. Most of it is drained off, so the nutritional information for the salt in this recipe won't be accurate. Use coarse sea salt for best results.
- Vinegar - We used apple cider vinegar, but you could use malt or white.
- Cumin and paprika - This is what adds lots of flavour to the sauce and the paprika adds a nice smokiness to it.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step
- Step 1: Put the potatoes into a pan with all the salt.
- Step 2: Cover with boiling water. Bring back to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until softened.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients into a blender.
- Step 4: Blend until smooth to make the sauce.
- Step 5: Once the 20 minutes are up, drain the potatoes and then put them back in the pan and on a very low heat for about 5 minutes, shaking regularly so the skins wrinkle.
- Step 6: Put the potatoes on to a plate and pour over the red mojo sauce.
What Potatoes to Use
Traditionally, Canarian potatoes use a type of potato called Papas Antiguas. These can be difficult to find outside of the Canary Islands, so we used new potatoes, as they are the first potatoes of the season grown on the UK mainland.
You can use small new potatoes, baby potatoes or even fingerling potatoes - just don't use anything too big. About golf ball size is perfect.
Serving Suggestions
This is a great side dish that goes with almost anything. Here are some of our favourite recipes to serve it with:
Extra Tips
- Turn it into a main dish by adding some chopped up vegetables and chunks of chicken breast (or thighs/legs) or halloumi and roasting them at the same time (timing may vary though).
- The nutritional information for this recipe won't be accurate, and will be an overestimate. This is because they don't keep all the salt on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, don't peel the potatoes. The skin has lots of fibre in it and the wrinkly skins is what makes this recipe so special.
This will depend on the size of your potatoes. As we have used new potatoes, we cut the bigger ones in half and leave the small ones whole.
The cooking time will depend on the size you cut your potatoes. However, you will know your potatoes are cooked when they are tender when you put a fork through them.
Yes, you could cook the potatoes in advance and then just reheat them and add the sauce when you are ready to serve. You could also make the sauce the day before and then cook the potatoes fresh and then add the sauce.
Yes, you can put them back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes to reheat. However, if we have any leftovers of this (which doesn't happen very often), then we just eat it cold as it tastes just as good that way. If you do reheat it, add a squeeze of lemon before serving to freshen it up a bit.
If you have any leftovers, they will store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Beware, the sauce does get spicier the next day.
More Potato Recipes
If you've tried these Canarian Potatoes, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Canarian Potatoes (Papas arrugadas)
Ingredients
- 750 g (1.66 lb) of Cornish new potatoes
- 1 Roasted red peppers - jarred
- 6 Garlic clove
- 2 Red chilli - small
- 80 ml (0.33 cups) of Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar
- 0.5 teaspoon of Cumin
- 0.25 teaspoon of Paprika
- 0.25 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper - optional
- 3 tablespoon of Sea salt
Instructions
- Put 750 g of Cornish new potatoes into a pan with 3 tbsp of Sea salt and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until softened.
- Meanwhile, put 1 Roasted red peppers, 6 Garlic clove, 2 Red chilli, 80 ml of Olive oil, 2 tbsp of Apple cider vinegar, 0.5 tsp of Cumin, 0.25 tsp of Paprika and 0.25 tsp of Cayenne pepper into a blender and blend until smooth to make the sauce.
- Once the 20 minutes are up, drain the potatoes and then put them back in the pan and on a very low heat for about 5 minutes, shaking regularly so the skins wrinkle.
- Put the potatoes on a plate and smother with the red sauce.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- Turn it in to a main dish by adding some chopped up vegetables and chunks of chicken breast (or thighs/legs) or halloumi and roasting them at the same time (timing may vary though).
- The nutritional information for this recipe won't be accurate, and will be an overestimate. This is because they don't keep all the salt on them.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These potatoes are incredible - the sauce is so flavourful and delicious and these make such a wonderful side dish!
Beth Sachs says
The first thing I order when we go to Tenerife! Love these potatoes.
Jess says
Practically licking the sauce off the plate!!
Jenn says
I'm always looking for new potato recipes and these look amazing! I wonder if I can use baby red potatoes instead. Love roasted red pepper so I'm sure I"ll love these potatoes!
Petro says
That sauce sounds incredibly, I'll have to give this recipe a try! Thanks for sharing!
Sandhya says
That is a delicious side to Pasta mains. My kids will happily dig into them!
Katherine says
Oooh I love all the bold flavors in the sauce! These potatoes look incredible.