Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Crash-hot potatoes

Crash-hot potatoes

I was devastated when I learned that Tastespotting had been closed. Luckily for me and for all the foodies, there new options for our daily dosis of food porn: Food Gawker and RecipeMuncher. Go check them out!

Deb, from the super yummy Taste and Tell, has mentioned a couple of times that she has trouble choosing side dishes. Deb, my dear, these are for you! Not only they are extremely simple to make but they’re also delicious! And one can play around using their favorite herb – I followed one of Jill Dupleix’s suggestions and went for thyme.

whb-two-year-icon

This is my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging, this time hosted by Joanna, from Joanna’s Food.

Crash-hot potatoes

Crash-hot potatoes
from Totally Simple Food

16 small, round potatoes
salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme or rosemary sprigs – I used a bit more

Heat oven to 230 or 250ºC/445 or 480ºF - yes, hot. Don't peel the potatoes. Just bung them into a pot of salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer for around 15 minutes until they'll take a skewer without too much resistance. They should be just about cooked, without being soft.

Drain, and arrange on a lightly oiled baking tray or sheet. Use a potato masher to squash each potato flat, until it is twice its original diameter.

Brush the tops with olive oil, and scatter with sea salt, pepper and thyme.

Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until terminally crisp and golden. Serve hot.

Serves 4

38 comments:

  1. These look amazing, Patricia! I've done crushed potatoes (these were big in the UK few years ago), but I didn't roast them afterwards.
    Yummmm!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, these are just win-win! Not only do I love herby, crispi-fied potatoes, but it's also really easy! Thanks for the recipe, Patricia :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 20, 2008

    Oh these will satisfy my potato crazy cravings!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I'm really hungry for these!
    I made them myself once, after Jill Duplex appeared on the Saturday morning cooking show here....YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 20, 2008

    COOL!
    love that these are squished down, bet they get such lovely crispy edges.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love this as an easy side dish--I'm always looking for new ones!

    ReplyDelete
  7. These look fantastic and I love potatoes of any kind.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You can bake or finish them in a skillet, same great flavah. Also, to flatten them, put each spud in a towel and press down with your hand...voila!

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousJune 20, 2008

    Oh splendor!

    Patricia, I love how delectable your Hot Crash Potatoes look!

    And I can happily vouch for them because I have the same book. Dupleix has quite a few good recipes in her book, but this one's a winner.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This recipe is definitely for me!! Not only is it a side dish, but it is potatoes - which I love!! Thanks so much for thinking of me, and I'm definitely trying these!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the crush-and-roast technique. Thyme is my favorite herb for potatoes (for most things, really) -- I grow loads of it in my herb garden every summer.

    ReplyDelete
  12. All you have to say is "potato" and I am knocking at your door!! I love the way these are done!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Herby, crispy hot potatoes...gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Patricia - those are perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, they look so tasty..

    j

    ReplyDelete
  16. Don't hate me but, I saw Rachael Ray make something like this before. She got the idea from Chef Pepin. So she called them Pepin's potatoes.
    They look so crispy and delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  17. oooh, I've made these. They are delicious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a terrific, easy way to make a side dish with potatoes. I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousJune 21, 2008

    Patricia, you are sooooo right! These potatoes are excellent.
    We call them smashed potatoes and they're a favorite. Fun to smash, too ;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love potatoes, they're one of my favorite side dishes. And these look all crispy and delicious, perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousJune 21, 2008

    Gotta love the spuds ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Love the name of these! They look very yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  23. As soon as I saw these potatoes I knew they were from Jill's book!
    They really are superb and I have made them lots of times.

    ReplyDelete
  24. That is the most fun name for potatoes I've seen in a long time! They look superb!

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousJune 22, 2008

    I've made this same exact recipe of Jill's and they are so good! I almost had a riot on my hands when I didn't cook enough (where guests wanted 3 potatoes each lol). Yours looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousJune 22, 2008

    This is great. And simple! This is one of those recipes that will be used for years. It's much easier than slicing potatoes, and roasting them, and adds a more complicated dimension as well.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Those look too good...can't go wrong with potatoes!

    ReplyDelete
  28. oh patricia these potatoes are just gorgeous!! and there's no other way to better to eat potatoes but with herbs and spices! i love love it!!


    ps, thanks for the write up too :-) for Recipe Muncher

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great potatoes - especially when the first instruction is DO NOT PEEL ;)

    Joanna

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousJune 23, 2008

    Oh this sounds so good, sweetie! I love how they're smashed, yet they look crispy on the outside. Perfect. These would be a great side to roasted chicken. yuMMy!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Pille, thank you, sweetie!

    Mark, easy, indeed! Thank you, my dear friend.

    Cathy, I bet they will. :)

    Nic, she has some nice recipes, doesn't she?

    Diva, you are right!

    Sarah, make these, I know you'll like them!

    Katie, I love potatoes, too. :)

    Pete, I'm afraid I'd might get burned. :)

    That book is wonderful, isn't it, Marysol?
    Thank you!

    Deb, I'm glad you like them, sweetie! I definitely had you in mind!

    Lydia, I love thyme, too. :)

    Helen, come quickly, darling - these are good served hot! ;)

    Elle, thank you!

    Pam, thank you, darling!

    Jarmine, tks, sweetie!

    Emiline, I would never hate you. Especially because Rachael Ray. ;)

    KJ, they are! :)

    RecipeGirl, very easy and very tasty - good for when we have people over!

    Kelly, I agree. ;)

    LyB, you can roast them as much as you like.

    Maryann, you are so right. :)

    Melody, I love their name, too! :)

    Margaret, I have made them lots of times, too, but they are gone so quickly it took me a while to get a photo. :)

    Susan, thank you!

    Lorraine, I can imagine that - these are worth the fight. :)

    Cookinpanda, very simple! I have made them several times already.

    Jeff, you are right!

    Dhanggit, there's no need to thank me - you did a magnificent job, sweetie!

    Joanna, I had a laugh with you - you are right! :)

    Hi, darling! And one can use the herb they fancy the most. :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thanks for the recipe. I too often am at a loss for a good side dish to accompany whatever I am making for dinner. This looks not only delish, but oh so easy, which is a winning combination in my book. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousJune 23, 2008

    I lOVE these potatoes. You know what I'm having for dinner tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousJune 24, 2008

    Yum! I'd completely forgotten about this recipe - I must give it a go again. Somehow it also seems a bit more summery to me than the conventional roast potato which is good for this time of year (in England anyway!)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Those little devils look marvelous!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love potatoes cooked this way. So yummy, and you used my fave herbs for spuds!

    ReplyDelete
  37. i love those huge chunks of sea salt....mmm! i heard taste spotting is actually back up and running now...

    ReplyDelete
  38. What a great looking potato recipe! I like Jill's recipes very much.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment!