This dish is ridiculously simple but for years I could never make it as well as the marinated potatoes served at Bodeguita Romero. Then one day I happened to be sitting at the bar when Pedro Romero started mixing up the house potatoes for the day and I discovered that the secret ingredient was vinagre de jerez. I believe Pedro was using a Pedro Ximenez vinegar, but I’ve since made this with the Reserva (aged in oak) and the potatoes come out AMAZING. I usually use small new potatoes, but any semi-waxy potato will do. I also noticed that Pedro didn’t use any utensils to toss the potatoes. Instead he picked up the large pot he was using as a receptacle by the side handles and tossed the whole thing up in a smooth rotating motion several times until the ingredients were well mixed.
Instructions below the links.
- 1 kilo potatoes
- spring onion, minced
- garlic, finely sliced
- coarse sea salt to taste
- parsley, chopped
- olive oil
- vinagre de jerez
You will notice there aren’t any measurements other than 1 kilo of potatoes (which is also approximate, but a good place to start). That’s because this is very much a “to taste” dish. Some people will like it sharper, others more olive oily, with either more or less salt.
Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, cool and then peel. Place in a large bowl or pot, add spring onion, garlic and sea salt to taste, and mix well. Add a bit of olive oil and vinegar and toss the potatoes lightly (if using a pot with handles, flip the ingredients until well mixed). Keep adding oil & vinegar and tossing until you feel the salad is dressed to your liking.
Serve either straight away or store in fridge. The curious thing about these potatoes is that they taste like they’ve been marinating for days right after you make them.
azahar's kitchen 
July 20, 2010 at 22:33
Looks good! Like a potato salad, only way lighter! But what kind of vinegar would you substitute if you can’t get vinagre de jerez?
July 20, 2010 at 22:43
Well, it’s a sherry vinegar, which you should be able to find. One aged in oak would be best.
I tried making this dish with all kinds of different vinegars and they never turned out the same somehow.
July 20, 2010 at 22:44
OK, I have access to some sherry vinegars. I’ll see what I can find when I next go for a shopping trip! Thanks, Az!
July 21, 2010 at 11:20
I’ll be making those this weekend methinks – thanks for the flavour tip!
July 25, 2010 at 07:05
Mmmmm, yummy!
Hi… this is Sreisaat from the Sreisaat Adventures. For some reason I found your food blog and I like it a lot. You have recipes that are easy to follow for cook-wannabes like me. If you won’t mind, I’d like to add you to my food blog list – http://www.fudtrips.blogspot.com – so I could easily follow your updates. Thanks and have a great weekend!
July 25, 2010 at 17:35
Hi Sreisaat, and welcome! 🙂
I’m very pleased to hear you find my recipes easy and interesting.
Your food blog looks great!
July 25, 2010 at 22:28
I am making this dish today! I wasn’t able to find any sherry vinegar while out yesterday, so I’m going to use apple cider vinegar and see what happens! I’ll let you know!
August 5, 2010 at 00:04
[…] I also make the weekly tortillas (spinach & onion and potato & onion), as well as fabby marinated potatoes and various salads & sandwiches. And curiously, the more I cook, the less I want to eat. So […]
August 12, 2010 at 07:25
Nice flavor tip! I’ll be doing a marinated potatoes tonight! I must agree that the curious thing about those potatoes is that they taste like they’ve been marinating for days right after you make them… 😉
August 24, 2010 at 17:33
This is now our favourite potato salad and I can’t believe how easy it is. A great alternative to mayonnaise-swamped salads! YUMMY!!! Thank you!
August 24, 2010 at 19:23
Hi Ruby and welcome! Glad you enjoyed them.
October 16, 2010 at 01:20
When I started making roast potatoes, I watched a program where they said that you should par-boil them, drain, and then toss them in a large pot with the lid on. This causes the outer part of the potato to sort of mash a little and makes the potatoes extra crispy when you roast them. Now, I mix my oil and herbs together and then pour them on the potatoes before shaking them in the pots they mix well into the soft potato coating. Then I roast. I sometimes add mushrooms I have marinated to the pot as well before shaking.
January 21, 2011 at 21:25
Looks really tasty, I’ll definately be giving it a try… http://www.flavoursofspain.co.uk – a great UK based Spanish company may well have a sherry vinegar, they have lots of really good stuff! :-0
March 20, 2011 at 10:58
[…] bringing everything upstairs, but well worth it. We had some lovely tuna brochettes, served with marinated potatoes, arrugula salad and a bottle of nicely chilled rueda. Also brought up the iPod deck and listened to […]