‘Patatas a la importancia’ (important potatoes) step by step recipe 

Potatoes are one of those products that never go out of fashion and everyone loves equally. For that reason, making a dish using this as the main ingredient is usually a safe bet. ‘Patatas a la importancia’, a recipe originating from Palencia, is popular on restaurant menus and is as popular as it is cheap to make. However, it can also be made at home given that the recipe for ‘patatas a la importancia’ is both quick and easy. 

In addition: Did you know that you can make ‘patatas a la importancia using a Thermomix? And that you can combine other foods such as clams, mushrooms or cod? First of all, let’s go through the steps. Firstly, we will learn to cook the main dish with the tasty ‘patatas a la importancia’ recipe. Take note!

How to make ‘patatas a la importancia’ potatoes

The recipe for ‘patatas a la importancia’ includes the following ingredients:

     - 800 g de potatoes

     - 3 eggs

     - 1 onion

     - 2 cloves garlic

     - 100 ml white whine

     - 700 ml de chicken stock

     - Extra virgin olive oil 

     - Fresh parsley

     - Strands of saffron

     - Salt

• The first thing we have to do is wash and peel the potatoes. Next, we cut them into slices of approximately one centimetre thickness and season them. 

• The first part of the dish consists of frying; the second, the stew. Now, it’s time to put flour on a plate, whisk the eggs in a bowl, and dip the potatoes in the flour and then into the whisked eggs. Next, we heat the oil (it is important for the oil to be hot) and fry the potatoes. Put them aside in a dish or bowl that ensures the coating is not spoiled.

• For the stew part, we have to make a mash with the garlic, saffron, parsley and salt. 

• Next, we heat three tablespoons of oil and sauté the chopped onion until it turns golden. Add a little flour (one tablespoon will be enough), stir them quickly and add the mash. 

• Then we will add the wine and leave it to cook for two minutes so the alcohol evaporates.

• Carefully add the potatoes to the pan and cover it with stock (we can also add a few strands of saffron). As it starts to boil, turn it down to simmer on a low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure the potatoes are tender. As soon as we see they are ready, we will remove them from the heat. To keep this dish warm, we advise serving it in an earthenware dish. Now, the only thing left to do is... to eat them!

Luxurious accompaniments for a delicious dish

‘Patatas a la importancia’ can be eaten by themselves, but they can also be accompanied by exquisite foods that add a unique touch.

‘Patatas a la importancia’ with clams is one option. To make them, you will need to put the clams in a bowl with water and salt and leave them to soak for between 30 minutes and one hour before starting to chop the potatoes. Then, they need to be added at the point we put the pan onto a low heat. When they open up, it means they are done, a process that can take just a few minutes, so it will be best to add them to the last part of the stew.

In addition, we can also find recipes for ‘patatas a la importancia’ with mushrooms. In this case, as above, they will need to be added at the moment it is simmering, so they can be sautéed in advance in a frying pan with a touch of oil.  

Finally, another dish worth noting is ‘patatas a la importancia’ with cod. Just like the other accompaniments, it is very easy to add to the dish. You just need to add the loins on top in the last five minutes of the cooking time. In this case, and also when using clams, we can add fish stock instead of chicken if we want to enhance this flavour. The only thing left to do now is enjoy them.