Patatas a lo pobre recipe

The Spanish winters can be pretty chilly. Especially up in the hills… so we fill up on warming, filling dishes. This patatas a lo pobre recipe is your one way ticket to just such a dish. It’s also one of our easiest Spanish recipes, so have a go, and let us know how you get on!

Ingredients for patatas a lo pobre (serves 2)

• 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced (about 3 or 4mm thick)
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, finely sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• Olive oil for shallow frying
• Salt to taste

Patatas a lo pobre should be cooked in a deep frying pan with a lid… or a cazuela that you can cover with foil.

Method

• Fry the onions gently in a little olive oil until they are almost opaque
• Throw in the peppers and cook gently for another 2 or 3 minutes
• Stir well and then layer the potato slices on top
• Sprinkle with salt
• Cover, and leave to steam in its own juices for about 15 to 20 minutes
• Mix the garlic with the vinegar, and drizzle over the top
• Stir and serve immediately

Other tips for your patatas a lo pobre

This is great as a side dish, and goes especially well with pork chops or pan fried chicken breasts. I like to sprinkle mine liberally with cracked black pepper too.

As a standalone dish, it’s a little plain for Alan’s tastes… so we occasionally use it as a base and add other ingredients. Here are just some extra ingredients that work really well

• Sliced mushrooms (add at the same time as the peppers
• Prawns – cook separately and stir in just before you add the vinegar and garlic
• Cooked bacon bits – stir in at the last moment
• Add 2 beaten eggs once cooked… stir well and turn it into a tortilla
• Pop a fried or poached egg on top for a filling breakfast or light lunch
• Sprinkle with grated cheese and a few chilli flakes and bang it under a grill at the end until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown
• I like mine a little “earthier”, so don’t peel the potatoes before slicing – just give them a good scrub.

Of course with these variations, it really ceases to be “patatas a lo pobre”, but hey – it’s your kitchen… so knock yourself out! Basically, it’s so versatile that you can do anything with it. Let us know what you do with yours.

Wait, what? You don’t have a cazuela?

Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. You can buy them via the links below*, or (even better) grab a couple when you are next in Spain. They are dirt cheap here but do watch your luggage allowance as they are pretty heavy. 

• Amazon.co.uk
• Amazon.es

Would you like some more meaty recipes? Why not take a look at some of our Spanish meat recipes or perhaps our Spanish recipes for soups and sauces too. Have a dig about – you’re sure to find something you like. If there is a recipe you’d really like to be made simple – let us know! We’ll be happy to provide that for you – tried and tested of course!

*These are sponsored links. We get a few centimos if you buy via those. If you don’t wish for us to benefit… run a search on your chosen Amazon site for the word, “cazuela”. Be aware that when searching on Amazon.com – it actually gives you a load of casserole dishes that aren’t actually cazuelas. You want the eartenware jobbies as shown in the image at the top of this article. 

Elle Draper

Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.