Vuelve Carolina’s Award Winning Bravas Potatoes
Patatas bravas are serious business in Spain. Everyone has an opinion, a favorite version, and a very clear idea of how they should be made. That’s exactly why touching the recipe means taking a risk.
At Vuelve Carolina, Quique Dacosta’s most informal restaurant in the center of València, we decided to take that risk. The result convinced the jury at Madrid Fusión 2024, where our version was recognized as the Best Creative Bravas Potates in Spain.
The award was presented during the first edition of the National Patatas Bravas Championship, organized by Madrid Fusión and La Casera. The competition brought together chefs from across the country with a shared goal: proving that even a classic bar snack can be reinterpreted in new ways.
An Award from Madrid: Best Bravas Potatoes
The final took place on January 30, 2024, with four dishes competing for the title. The jury, made up of professionals from the gastronomic sector, selected our interpretation, presented by Gonzalo Silla, head chef of Vuelve Carolina.
The idea was clear from the beginning: not to compete with nostalgia, but with flavor. The goal was to keep the reference to traditional bravas while moving them into a more contemporary, technical approach, above all, one that is more fun to eat.
What Makes These Bravas Different
Here you won’t find diced potatoes or sauce poured without thought. The bravas at Vuelve Carolina are served as small potato fritters, designed to be eaten in a single bite: crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
They are paired with a brava sauce made with smoked ham oil, garlic, onion, sweet-and-spicy paprika, ground cumin, chipotle, homemade fried tomato, and meat jus. There’s also a subtle touch of allioli, because while our cuisine is international, we are still very much Valencian. A thin slice of smoked Iberian pork jowl finishes the dish, adding depth without overpowering the other flavors.
Why Madrid Fusión
Presenting this dish at Madrid Fusión was no coincidence. “We wanted to rethink the patatas bravas at Vuelve Carolina, and we thought there was no better place to present them than Madrid Fusión,” Gonzalo Silla explained after receiving the award. “Winning this recognition for Valencia was a great surprise.”
Beyond the trophy, the prize reinforces something the restaurant has long defended: casual cuisine can also be precise, thoughtful, and worthy of recognition.
A Classic with Many Versions
According to many food historians, patatas bravas originated in Madrid in the 1940s, specifically in two now-closed establishments: Casa Pellico and La Casona. Since then, the recipe has evolved as much as the cities where it is served.
The original sauce was typically made with chicken or stew broth, spicy paprika, and flour as a thickener. Some recipes included garlic and onion. Tomato remains a subject of debate among purists, imagine what they would say about ketchup, and allioli was added later, especially in Barcelona. As for the potatoes, floury yet firm varieties such as Agria, Red Pontiac, or Russet are often preferred.
How they are cooked depends entirely on the cook. Some fry them twice, others boil them first, and some finish them in the oven. Every kitchen has its own approach.
Award-Winning Bravas in the Center of València
Today, this award-winning version of one of Spain’s most beloved dishes is served at Vuelve Carolina on Calle Correos, between Plaza del Ayuntamiento and Calle Colón.
A reinterpretation that proves classics are not meant to remain untouched, they are meant to keep the conversation going. And if that conversation happens over a beer or a glass of wine, even better.
