I’ve scoured the internet for recipes and the one I’ve linked to below seems to most closely resemble the best I’ve had. This would be a Tapas Bar at the top of the High Street in Almeria, owned by the same man for at least 30 years whose only English was to say he married ‘a lady from Brighton’ (but we never saw hide nor hair of her).

Lots of people, including Jamie Oliver, put mayonnaise in their sauce, which gives it a palatable tangy creamy texture but interferes with the bitterness and heat of the paprika and the sweetness of the tomatoes so I would steer clear. And personally, I would go to the trouble of making big fluffy roasties rather than little fried potatoes: less calories and more absorbency for the sauce. But, it’s all good – enjoy, and let me know how it goes.

Patatas Bravas Recipe

If you want to see my products ‘in the flesh’ or discuss a bespoke paella gift set or hamper in person, a good way to do this is to pop to one of my few appearances at local Christmas fayres and markets. I will be holding stands at the following:

The Wartime Christmas Festival & Craft Fayre, Bovington, Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th December

Hotel du Vin Poole Christmas Market, Pool Quay, Saturday 10th December

Crown Hotel Christmas Exhibition, Yuletides Festival, Blandford, Wednesday 14th December (evening)

Poppy Mae Cafe, Westbourne, Saturday 17th December (morning)

And don’t forget that Idelica has a permanent display of items for sale at The Dorset Smokery, Hurn. They are having Open Days on the 19th & 20th November and the 17th & 18th December.

For Stratta’s sweet fruit vinegars, soft fruits are steeped in white wine vinegar to extract the full flavour and colour. The resultant vibrant liquid is filtered and sweetened with organic cane sugar before being bottled at high temperature. A whopping 60g of fruit is used to make each 100ml of  infusion.

Choose the ‘Fig Infused Vinegar‘, ever so naturally sweet, light and fruity, or the winner of the ‘Best Ambient Product 2011′ at the Great Taste Awards, the ‘Raspberry Infused Vinegar‘ which is perfectly balanced between sweet and sharp.

Choose from the fresh and herbaceous ‘Basil Infused‘, the sweet and zesty ‘Lemon Infused‘ or a special recipe of spices created especially for Idelica by Mary Stratta, which I call ‘Idelica’s Iberian Infused‘ Extra Virgin Olive Oil in 250ml bottles. The Iberian contains smoked paprika, garlic, rosemary, thyme and cumin. It is deliciously flavoursome with spiciness but not too much heat.

This is Spain’s most popular snacking olive export, the Manzanilla olive, honed to perfection. Unpitted to retain their natural firmness, these olives are sweet, creamy, plump and bursting with flavour.  In their nice curvy jar they make a lovely gift for olive lovers. 360g.

Both items are presented in a smart gift box packed with shredding, and included will be a Torre Real booklet for your recipient to read about the origins of their gift.

This jar of olives comes boxed with a 10cm enamel paella dish which is both cute and elegant for serving up tiny tapas, cold or hot.

100g pack of each of the following Embutidos (cured meats) from Peña-Cruz: Jamon Serrano Gran Reserva (16 month cured Serrano ham), Salchichon (salami) Chorizo (paprika-spiced salami)  Lomo (paprika-spiced tenderloin ham)

Oro de Bailen Extra Virgin Olive Oil 250ml (to drizzle over the meats or a tomato side salad or to dip with the fresh bread you will undoubtedly be serving with the tapas)

Torres Vina Sol Tempranillo 70cl (to wash it all down with )

Paprika 75g or Smoked Paprika 75g (something to spice up your dishes the Spanish way)

Please note which paprika you would like (mild, smoked mild or smoked hot) otherwise I will pick one for you, and if you would prefer the Torres Vina Sol white wine option then advise this and anything else in the ‘Special instructions’ box opposite.

Choose to have these items individually wrapped and delivered in a cardboard box, or for an extra £12.50 you can upgrade your packaging by including one of my recycled, waxed and polished wooden wine box. This box is very attractive and durable, has many uses in the home and being recycled and re-useable it is most eco-friendly.

If you have an electric, induction or AGA hob, you need the extra feature of a completely flat and heavier bottom to your pan, so that the heat disperses most effectively. These pans can, of course, also be used on gas and open flames, but if you have a gas hob or ring burner you may want to check out my Enamel Paella Pans for a larger range of lighter, less expensive pans.

Each pan has a traditional “dimpled” base to help the heat spread evenly & quickly. This feature is important because the paella rice should not be stirred during the simmering process but allowed to sit and gradually soak up the juices to preserve the separation of the grains and allow a light crispiness to form on the part of the paella that is in contact with the base.

30cm Pan – up to 4 servings – £22.99

34cm Pan – up to 6 servings – £27.99

38cm Pan – up to 8 servings – £34.99

These pans can be used on gas hobs and ring burners and on an open fire or barbeque. Each pan has a traditional “dimpled” base to help the heat spread evenly & quickly. This feature is important because the paella rice should not be stirred during the simmering process but allowed to sit and gradually soak up the juices to preserve the separation of the grains and allow a light crispiness to form on the part of the paella that is in contact with the base. The base of these paella pans is also slightly dished, which will allow for a more even spread of heat from open flames and also allows the oil to collect in the centre when first frying your ingredients. For this reason, only pans of up to 34cm can be used reasonably efficiently on induction hobs. For pans that are optimised to induction, electric and AGA hobs, see Induction Enamel Paella Pans.

30cm Pan – up to 4 servings – £12.99

34cm Pan – up to 6 servings – £15.99

38cm Pan – up to 8 servings – £18.99

42cm Pan – up to 10 servings – £21.99

46cm Pan – up to 12 servings – £26.99

60cm Pan – up to 20 servings – £49.99