Spanish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Ajo Colorao

Murcian potato mash, pounded with roasted bell pepper, garlic and cumin into a deep red purée.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g floury potatoes
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 dried choricero pepper (or pepper paste)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 100 ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Seed the dried choricero pepper and soak in hot water for 20 min., then scrape the flesh off the skin with a spoon.
2. Roast the red bell peppers in the oven at 220 °C for 25 min. until the skin blisters black, let steam covered for 10 min., then peel and seed them.
3. Peel the potatoes, cut into rough cubes and boil in salted water for 20 min. until very soft, skimming off and reserving 200 ml of the cooking water.
4. Pound the garlic with the cumin and 1 tsp salt in a mortar into a smooth paste.
5. Mash the drained potatoes with the pepper flesh, garlic paste and paprika in the pot, working in the olive oil in a thin stream until a deep red, velvety purée forms — thin with cooking water if needed.
6. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper and serve lukewarm with hearty white bread as a tapa.