Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
(Hmmm, I wasn’t planning on it, but I guess it could be fun. Isn’t Scarborough far away? I do love those fair scones with raspberry jam…)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
(Yum! Herbaceous. Forget that elusive fair and it’s jammy scones…I’ll stay home and get cozy and add those herbs to a big batch of potatoes.)
It’s a good thing I skipped the fair. If I had gone, I never would have discovered these potatoes. And these potatoes satisfy. Simple, hearty fare, they are the perfect match for meat, fish, salad, or soup. Sprinkle with any of the aforementioned herbs and they become glorified homefries of the highest order. If you really want to gussy them up, drizzle with a little truffle oil.
So, crank up your oven and your Simon & Garfunkel tunes, get a pot of water boiling on the stove, and make these taters. Browned, crispy and deeply comforting, they are the fairest fare of all.
Simon & Garfunkel Crispy, Smashed Potatoes
Serves 3-4
- About 15 – 20 small potatoes (I used marble, but yukon golds, fingerlings, or something similar would work just as well.)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Minced parsley, sage, rosemary and/or thyme, to taste
- Thin drizzle of truffle oil, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook them until they are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Be sure not to over-boil them.
Drizzle olive oil on a cookie sheet and toss tender potatoes to coat evenly.
With the back of a fork, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the fork 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped herbs.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle with truffle oil if you’re going the fancy route.
Fair thee well! Hot and crispy smashed potatoes sound like the perfect food for subzeroland. XOXOXOX Pom
Celia, I mean Annie, you’re breakin’ my heart! The way to Tom’s heart may just well be these yummy sounding potatoes. I am going to make them very soon! Love from Aunt Cary