RCP: Squished Baby Potatoes

[Ted Richards]

Not an elegant title, but another one of Laura Calder's easy and tasty recipes from French Food at Home. These turn out nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Here's a link to the original, (with picture): http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Side/Potatoes/recipe.html?dishID=9126
Squished Baby Potatoes

Serves 4

2 pounds new [small] potatoes
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Scrub the potatoes and cook, unpeeled, in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. When cool enough to touch, squish them flat using a coffee cup or ramekin. Don't let them explode, just flatten until the edges break a bit, but they are still in one piece. Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until crisp outside and soft inside, about 40 minutes.

[Karen/NoCA]

Were yours as brown as the ones in the picture Ted? I swear that round thing to the left in the picture liiks like a head of roasted garlic...what do you think? There are all sorts of versions of this and I have made several, but mine never have looked like the picture.

[Ted Richards]

Were yours as brown as the ones in the picture Ted? I swear that round thing to the left in the picture liiks like a head of roasted garlic...what do you think? There are all sorts of versions of this and I have made several, but mine never have looked like the picture.

Yes, pretty much, although mostly on the bottom. I tried turning them over part way through, and that helped get the other side brown, too. I use lots of olive oil, which may help, as well.

[Jenise]

Ted, great recipe! I really like Laura Calder.

Mike Filigenzi turned me onto this method a long time ago and we quickly named them 'splats'. Tend to like yukon golds the best, and especially if they're small so one gets a lot more crust--flavorwise, they're like the hashed brown potatoes I group up with, just a lot less trouble to make. They'll also brown up beautifully in the oven, placed in a roasting pan just drizzled top and bottom with oil.