José Andrés Dresses Potato Chips With 2 Ingredients For A Luxury Appetizer In Seconds

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One of the most beautiful things about cultures with rich culinary histories is that the food is often simple. A few choice ingredients combined in the right proportions can be magic on a plate. José Andrés — the world-renowned chef, author, television personality, and founder of World Central Kitchen — makes this clear with one simple dish at his Mercado Little Spain restaurant in New York City: potato chips topped with marinated olives and boquerones, also known as white anchovies. 

All of these ingredients are very Spanish, as you might expect from an establishment so named, or a chef so dedicated to Spanish dishes and the culinary history of his country. But the combination reaches across cultures. It might sound a bit strange, or like it would be an absolute salt bomb, but the flavors are more nuanced than you might think. To really understand the dish, you need to break down what exactly makes each of the ingredients such a good fit — starting with the white anchovies. 

The anchovies are the ingredient most likely to turn off potential diners. It's important to note that while you may turn your nose up at the wildly salty brown fish fillets you've sampled on pizza, these white anchovies are very different. Even if you can't imagine enjoying an anchovy, keep an open mind with boquerones. They taste nothing like what you've had before.

The anchovies you know are cured in brine, resulting in a powerful saltiness and pungent fish flavor. Boquerones, on the other hand, are salted and pickled in vinegar and herbs. The result is a tender texture, a mild flavor, and a delicious combination of salt and tang. It really is a completely different experience. A package of boquerones, like the Fruits de Mer Marinated Anchovies in Garlic, might change your mind entirely about these little fish.

Next on the ingredient list are the marinated olives. There is a wide range of olives. At their worst, olives are just salty. At their best, they can be fruity, buttery, nutty, and herbaceous. Starting with a good olive is key here, but they are further improved by marination, as the Mercado Little Spain appetizer showcases. A spiced olive mix with herbs, garlic, citrus peel, and olive oil adds complex layers of flavor that unfold throughout each bite and temper the olive's inherent saltiness.

Quality anchovies and olives are obviously important, but with just three ingredients, choosing good potato chips is also integral. Spanish potato chips are especially rich in flavor thanks to one ingredient: olive oil. José Andrés has his own brand of potato chips that Mercado Little Spain utilizes, but there are also cheaper and more widely available brands, like Boulder Canyon Olive Oil Potato Chips, that will work just fine.

It is a simple recipe, but it is one that you will find yourself coming back to. Three quality ingredients quickly piled up make a perfect aperitivo snack alongside a Spanish gin and tonic or tinto de verano.