Alright, confession time. I completely intended to replicate Giada's fried smashed potato recipe (linked below). However, when it came time to smash the potatoes, rather than ending up with perfectly round, but-still-mostly-together potato discs, I ended up with bits of potato flying hither and thither. Perhaps I underestimated my potato-smashing strength? Whatever the case, even after trying to smoosh them back into shape in the frying pan, flipping them over just revealed what a terrible mess that I had made.
In a moment of frustration I kind of angrily stabbed at the potatoes with my spatula, and voila! Pan-roasted smashed potatoes were born. I tweaked the "dressing" recipe a bit, adding in some more herbs and a little bit of Dijon mustard to give it a more substantial feel. The lemon-herb combination, made just a tad zesty with the Dijon mustard, really helps to make these smashed potatoes that much more interesting (and tasty). Lesson learned: sometimes smashing things to smithereens is the right answer. Well, in some cases, anyway.
Pan-Roasted Smashed Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings
Potatoes:
6 medium-sized Yukon gold or red potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from one lemon
zest from one lemon
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, and reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Let the potatoes simmer until they are fork tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, put together the vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Once the potatoes have cooked, remove them from the water and let them cool for about five minutes. Once cooled, lightly smash each potato by hand.
4. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the smashed garlic cloves and saute until fragrant and lightly browned, 30-60 seconds. Remove the garlic from the oil and discard. Add in the smashed potatoes and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Flip each potato and cook until lightly browned on the other side. Use the bottom edge of your spatula to smash the potatoes until they resemble coarsely-mashed potatoes. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until evenly browned (or the potatoes reach your preferred level of crispiness). Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinaigrette, evenly coating the potatoes. Serve immediately.
Another variation:
Instead of adding the vinaigrette, after smashing the potatoes, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
(inspired by this Giada De Laurentiis recipe)
makes 4-6 servings
Potatoes:
6 medium-sized Yukon gold or red potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from one lemon
zest from one lemon
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, and reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Let the potatoes simmer until they are fork tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, put together the vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Once the potatoes have cooked, remove them from the water and let them cool for about five minutes. Once cooled, lightly smash each potato by hand.
4. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the smashed garlic cloves and saute until fragrant and lightly browned, 30-60 seconds. Remove the garlic from the oil and discard. Add in the smashed potatoes and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Flip each potato and cook until lightly browned on the other side. Use the bottom edge of your spatula to smash the potatoes until they resemble coarsely-mashed potatoes. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until evenly browned (or the potatoes reach your preferred level of crispiness). Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinaigrette, evenly coating the potatoes. Serve immediately.
Another variation:
Instead of adding the vinaigrette, after smashing the potatoes, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
(inspired by this Giada De Laurentiis recipe)
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