Crispy Smashed Potatoes

I love potatoes.  They are definitely a weakness of mine and I can honestly say I've never met a potato I didn't like!  I love mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, potato fries, baked potatoes...you name it.  Just when I thought there weren't anymore ways to prepare potatoes, I came across a different idea-smashed potatoes.  These potatoes were definitely different and fall somewhere between a baked potato and mashed potatoes.  I loved that they were crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. 

This time around I chose to keep them simple-I just seasoned them with salt and pepper and a little bit of rosemary but I think the toppings and seasonings you could use would be endless...I think they'd be great with some sour cream and chives or a little bit of garlic powder.  I also think they'd be a great main dish with some chili and toppings on top...yum!

However you choose to season these, make sure you have fun making these-they are definitely different than any other potato recipe I've ever made!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

2 1/2 pounds baby red (red bliss) or small yukon gold potatoes (or more or less depending on how many you want to make)
3/4 cup water
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
rosemary or other desired seasonings/toppings

Move one oven rack to the top and one to the bottom position of your oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees or as hot as you can get your oven (I preheated mine to 450). Place the potatoes on a baking sheet with edges and add the water. If your potatoes are on the large side,  cut them in half. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil-this will allow the potatoes to steam. Place the potatoes on the bottom rack in the oven and let them cook for about 25-30 minutes until soft.

Take potatoes out of the oven, remove the foil, and let the potatoes cool down for a few minutes. Use a paper towel to wipe up any water that remains.

Once the potatoes have cooled down a bit, drizzle some olive oil and roll them so that all sides are evenly coated. Space them evenly across the tray. Place a plate on top of the potatoes and smash them down until they’re about ½ inch thick. Season potatoes to taste.
Add more olive oil and salt and pepper and any other seasonings you desire.
Place the tray back in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes on the top rack.

Remove from oven, and cook for about 25 minutes on the bottom rack.

At this point, the bottom of the potatoes should be crisp.
When the potatoes are done, season with a little more salt and pepper to taste. The result should be a crispy potato cake that is still creamy in the middle.
Baby red potatoes will crisp up faster than Yukon golds, so cut down the cooking time on the bottom rack at the end. Otherwise, you’ll end up with potatoes that are really hard on the bottom.


Source: Cook's Illustrated