Smashed Potatoes
Not to be confused with mashed potatoes. Out of all potato dishes, smashed potatoes have perhaps the most interesting and varied texture. The crispiness of a hash brown, the fluffiness/butteriness of a baked/mashed potato, and the rustic feel of skin-on French fries. Plus the amazing flavor of combination of butter, thyme, and garlic. It all comes together in a delightful dish that is not quite like any other potato dish. Perhaps my favorite potato preparation of all time, even though I made some mistakes in preparing it. It's especially delicious if cooked in the same pan as a pan-seared steak, duck breast, etc.
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 35 min
Ingredients
> baby potatoes
> butter
> (optional) thyme, garlic
> salt, pepper, paprika
Instructions
1. Boil the baby potatoes in a pot of salted water for about 15-20 minutes, or fully cooked through and fork-tender.
2. Remove the baby potatoes from the pot. Using a heavy flat object, press down on each potato until each potato forms a thick disk shape. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
3. Heat plenty of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Optionally add garlic and thyme Fry the potatoes, about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
4. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> Use medium-sized baby potatoes for this dish. Avoid potatoes which are too small (which are difficult to smash) or potatoes which are too large. I used potatoes which are too large in the picture above, which makes the outside cook much faster than the inside of the potato and leads to the potatoes disintegrating somewhat.
> Be very generous with the amount of butter you add. There's no other fat in the dish. I'd say around 3-4 tbsp per pound of potatoes is a good amount.
> If you happen to have some rendered beef/duck fat, perhaps from cooking some steak or duck breast, I'd highly recommend using it here. The potatoes soak up all the flavorful goodness. Boil the potatoes beforehand, and fry the potatoes in the same pan as the meat for maximum effect.
> If you're cooking for a party, you could also consider substituting the pan-frying step for baking/broiling in the oven. Use a VERY hot oven -- ideally as hot as possible, and maybe replace the butter with olive oil.