Patatas Bravas Sauce

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 60-90 seconds, stirring constantly, until it is fragrant and just starting to turn golden at the edges — not browned. Remove from heat and immediately add both paprikas. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds; the residual heat will bloom the spices without burning them. Burning paprika is irreversible and produces a sharp, acrid bitterness.

Add the crushed tomatoes, sherry vinegar, salt, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir to combine with the bloomed paprika base. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to a loose paste that mounds slightly on a spoon and no longer tastes raw.

For a restaurant-smooth sauce, carefully transfer the warm sauce to a blender and blend on high for 60 seconds until completely smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pan. This is optional — the sauce is excellent either chunky or smooth — but the smooth version clings better to fried potatoes.

For the aioli layer: stir the mayonnaise with a small additional minced garlic clove and the fresh lemon juice until smooth. Taste — it should be sharp with garlic, bright with lemon, and creamy. This is a shortcut aioli; for the full version, emulsify from egg yolk. Refrigerate until service.