A particularly well-known recipe in Canarian gastronomy is the ‘papas arrugadas’ (wrinkled potatoes). If you want to know how to make ‘papas arrugadas’, today we tell you the recipe for its preparation as well as some dishes to accompany them.
‘Papas arrugadas’ is a way of preparing potatoes, characteristic of the Canary Islands. Mainly, a specific type is usually used, the potato ‘bonita’, although this recipe also applies to other types of potato with the Archipelago’s denomination of origin, such as “azucena”, “papa negra” or “yema de huevo”. Today, there are 29 varieties of potatoes with characteristic PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) granted by the European Union.
Characteristics of the Canary Islands potato
The potatoes arrived in the Canary Islands from South America in the 16th century and from here they were exported to the rest of the European continent, another of the reasons why its name is conserved in the Archipelago while in the rest of places it adopted that of ‘potato’ due to its similarities to the ‘sweet potato’. However, while in other regions the majority of existing varieties were lost due to climatic conditions, in the Canary Islands their varieties have been conserved for centuries.
How to make ‘papas arrugadas’
The recipe for wrinkled potatoes is very simple:
- Wash the potatoes to remove any remaining soil, one of the characteristics of this dish is to preserve its shell.
- Put the skinned potatoes in a cauldron and add water until it covers every last potato.
- Now cook the potatoes over medium heat for 20-30 minutes and add a handful of coarse salt.
- Drain the water that has not evaporated and add fine salt to the cauldron, stir the potatoes well and cover them with a cloth for 10 minutes.
And you already have a rich recipe for wrinkled potatoes!
5 typical Canarian dishes with ‘papas arrugadas’
You’ve probably already heard of a classic of Tenerife’s gastronomy, the wrinkled potatoes with mojo. There are different varieties of mojo, some of the best known are the red mojo or mojo picón (based on dried red pepper, cumin and paprika), the green mojo or coriander mojo or some more innovative recipes such as the avocado mojo, characteristic of La Palma although you can also find it in Tenerife. Wrinkled potatoes with mojo are an exquisite dish to serve as an aperitif or as an accompaniment.
The second dish we recommend is the rabbit in salmorejo accompanied by wrinkled potatoes. This is one of the best known dishes of Canarian cuisine, its hallmark is that the rabbit remains in a state of maceration for an entire day and this gives it a flavor and texture different from what you have tasted so far.
Other dishes that go especially well with a good portion of wrinkled potatoes are: ‘la vieja’, a white fish with a delicate texture and a surprising taste, which is usually prepared with green mojo and wrinkled potatoes; cherne with onions (fish), prepared in the oven and also accompanied by wrinkled potatoes; and finally, stew of goat meat, another of the main dishes of Canarian cuisine although whose intense flavor does not conquer all palates but whose recipe with wrinkled potatoes you can not miss.
In Baobab Suites we have an exquisite restaurant service that fuses the typical products of the Canary Islands with the most avant-garde recipes. That’s why we invite you to join us for dinner at BB Restaurant, where you’ll find a wide variety of fresh seasonal products, including meat and fish, among many others.
