Reinventing Potatas Bravas at Jaleo

I have seen Jose Andres' response, read the blog comments and heard rumors about the change in the potatas bravas recipe at Jaleo's and I didn't want to believe it. I love Jaleo's for the potatas bravas and garlic shrimp. The question on everyone's mind is this receipe change needed? Now, the Jaleo's menu has been modernized to combine classic tapas, with reinvented and modern dishes to keep pace with the progress of food in Spain. I like the menu changes not to mention their are bocadillos and Jamon Iberico on the menu as well.

But why and when do you change a classic dish? In my lifetime I have suffered through some awful potatas bravas a lot in Spain, which I blame on the Brit Holiday season and the need to met their palates, but also through out the "Tapas" restaurants in the U.S. Jaleo's was simple and good. Fried potato chunks, with the spicy sauce and some aioli, classic.

But much like life progress needs to be made in the cooking world. Are we seeing a new phase in potatas bravas globally? Maybe is should be deconstructed further into potato foam with a dusting of aioli and spicy dust??? As I am writing I am looking back on the new version and am thinking, "Is it better? No, it can't better the original version is perfect...but maybe this new one isnt as bad as I was lead to believe." In the new recipe the potato is crispier in chip form, i think with the sauce and aioli you lose the balance with the potato and only taste the sauce. Maybe Jaleo's should redo the sauce or find a better way to serve the sauce. Hmmm...but the balance is still off. Maybe a slighter thicker chip.

The reinvention of a classic dish is never easy to deal with. I havent been won over by the new version.