Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

It has been so long since my last post, and for that I apologize. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and is adjusting nicely in the new year. Life has gotten pretty hectic for me. I've started my student teaching and on top of that I have work and class. Yikes. Unfortunately this means I will probably be posting less. I am aiming for about two posts a week, so make sure to check back frequently. It makes me sad that I won't have a lot of time to cook, but it will all be worth it because I will be done with my Masters in August. I can finally see the faint light at the end of the tunnel! 

Over winter break I went through copious amounts of cookbooks and magazines looking for new recipes to feature in the upcoming weeks. I saw this new take on potatoes and thought it was pretty ingenious. There are so many different ways to prepare potatoes: mashed, baked, roasted, double baked, etc...However, I had never seen something like these crispy smashed roasted potatoes. So clearly, I had to try them. 

Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes 
(print recipe)

Serves 8

From Fine Cooking

12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can easily be pierced with a skewer. The total cooking time should be around 30 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on your countertop. As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for a minute or two on the dishtowels.

Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten to a thickness of about ½ inch. Repeat with all the potatoes. Don’t worry if some break apart a bit. You can still use them.

Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment paper on top of the foil. Carefully transfer the flattened potatoes to the baking sheet and let them cool completely to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle the potatoes with about ¾ teaspoon salt and pour olive oil over them. Lift them gently to make sure some olive oil goes beneath them.

Roast the potatoes for 30 to 40 minutes, turning over once halfway through. Once done, edges should be brown. Serve hot.

These are probably the best potatoes I have eaten in a while! They are like a combination of a baked potato and a potato chip in one bite. I was having trouble taking pictures of these because I was consuming them at an alarming rate. These would be a great side dish or as an appetizer for a party. They are really simple to make and once you get the smashing technique down, you won't want to stop making these!

Happy New Year!