Friday, April 29, 2011

Smooshed Potatoes



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for a slightly different take on roasted potatoes, you might want to give this version a try. It differs from its more classic cousins in that the cooked potatoes are lightly smashed before being roasted. Younger members of our family refer to these as smooshed potatoes and that is a pretty apt name for them. It certainly is the only thing that sets them apart from other roast potatoes. The potatoes are smooshed to create a greater surface area for browning while they're in the oven. Having said that, I'm pretty much at a loss for words, other than to tell you that kids love to make these and they actually eat them. Because there is so little to the potatoes, I use my best olive oil for their roasting and finish them with fleur de sel - French sea salt. The one tip I want to share with you concerns the precooking of the potatoes. In order to avoid over cooking or water logged potatoes, I use my microwave to cook them. I place them in a single layer in a large microwave container to which 3 or 4 tablespoons of water has been added. I cover the dish and microwave the potatoes for 10 minutes at which point they are fork tender and ready to be smooshed for roasting. Recipes rarely get easier than this. Here's how the potatoes are made.

Smooshed Potatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds unpeeled small Yukon Gold potatoes
olive oil
coarse salt
4 large unpeeled garlic cloves

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt and cook at a medium boil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. Do not over cook. Alternatively, potatoes may be placed in a large microwave container to which 3 tablespoons of water have been added, and, cooked, covered, for 9 to 10 minutes on HIGH power until potatoes can be pierced with a fork.
3) When the potatoes are cooked, rinse them under cold running water to stop cooking. Place the potatoes on a work surface and, using your fist, punch them so that they flatten a bit. I protect my hand with a thin pot holder.
4) Place potatoes and the garlic cloves on a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle each potato with olive oil. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 15 minutes. Turn potatoes to opposite side, drizzle with more olive oil and bake for 15 minutes longer. Transfer potatoes to a large serving dish. Peel and mash garlic cloves and add to potatoes. Mix well. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.







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72 comments :

Wendy Irene said...

Garlic and potatoes together makes me happy. I think my kids would love these!! Have a great Friday!

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

I like to make these with leftover butter and parsley new potatoes, cooked in a bit of ghee. The browner, the better.

Have a great weekend!

mia xara said...

We all love potatoes at home and these look very appetizing!I'll "hire" my son to flatten them!Have a good night!

Michelle said...

Thank you Mary, we love our spuds in our house, and any different way of cooking them is weel appreciated :-)

Adriana said...

I love this idea! a great twist to plain boring baked potatoes!

kankana said...

I remember seeing something similar in food network channel and since then it was in my mind but I didn't remember the recipe at all. This looks so gorgeous and garlic with potato .. perfect combo ! :)

Sunanda said...

I am tempted too..after looking at your picture! Looks yumm.

Mickey said...

Love them! Those sound perfect.
mickey

Jeannie said...

Smooshed potatoes huh! My boys would love these! Looks yum:)

Alina---Explora Cuisine said...

If my husband would see your post he would definitely be making me to make these for him :) I love the combination between potatoes and garlic, I'll make these soon! Hope you have a lovely day Mary!

Khadija El Mary said...

My boys would love this! Thanks for the recipe and all the details, I will sure give it a try, it's easy to make and looks good. With the garlic touch, it must taste so delicious! Have a great day Mary,
Cheers
Mamatkamal

Treat and Trick said...

Great combo and looks yummy! Agree with you, best way to precook them using microwave, they turned out perfect all the time...

Ana Rita Marreiros said...

This one of my favourite ways to cook potatoes....in te end i put olive oil with garlic lightly fried in it!

Kisses,
Rita

Priya Suresh said...

Fantastic potatoes, feel like finishing that whole plate..

Anonymous said...

I've heard of mashed and smashed but never smooshed potatoes. I'll have to try these just for the experience!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

This is a fun potato recipe! You punch the potatoes! I love potatoes and this will go straight to my recipe folder. ;-) Have a wonderful weekend!

Su m said...

I do a very similar potatos and everyone loves them :)

CaThY said...

looks really good :)

megi said...

The crispy potatoes look fantastic, fine olive oil and fleur de sel makes it that much more speccial. Have a wonderful weekend. :)

Linda said...

Good idea! My kids would love to smoosh them for me before roasting. Thanks for sharing!

StephenC said...

Must do this. They look so good!

Kim said...

I like this way of cooking potatoes. It's crusty on the outside and tender in the centre, I like a lot!

Peggy said...

A simple potato side dish always makes me happy! I'm sure this is full of flavor!

The Food Hound said...

Such a neat idea! They look like roses!!

Red Nomad OZ said...

Sadly, anything with potatoes works for me!! Have a great weekend!!

Young Adventures... said...

Three out of the four of us love potatoes anyway we can make them. The youngest not so much a potato fan unless they are roasted. I would love to try this recipe Mary! I think it would be a wonderful way to get the children involved in preparing dinner. Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,
Rachel

Unknown said...

Smooshed... I love that name!! I have seen recipes for making potatoes this way before and always thought it sounded so good. Must try it now!

Diane said...

I must try this as I never ger roast potatoes crispy. Diane

Rachel said...

First and foremost, I love the name :) We're huge potato fans here and this would be a great way to change things up a bit! It's even an added bonus that they seem relatively simple!

Tasha said...

What a fun recipe! I'll have to try this with my little kitchen helper!

Adriana said...

I roast potatoes a lot, and am thrilled that there are different ways to get around this staple. Thank you for stopping by my blog, Mary.

Kath said...

Your Smooshed Potatoes look absolutely perfect, Mary! Roasting them with garlic and a bit of olive oil is perfections.

Anonymous said...

love these and i have been known to kill half a bottle of truffle oil on them

Banana Wonder said...

Although I am not much of a potato fan - I have seen this smashed version before and it really makes me salivate! I want some yukon golds NOW.

Unknown said...

I never cooked potatoes in this way. It is a very easy and tasty recipe. Thanks.
Have a nice weekend.

lena said...

i love that you're sharing such a simple and delicious looking potatoes recipe!

Lucy@The Sweet Touch said...

Mmmm, mmmm! I saw something similar to these on another blog - brilliant idea, I'm going to have to give it a try!

Claudia said...

I love the word smooshed! The microwave is a handy tip - it's only used by my kids for popcorn. This is a nice side for a cool spring day - or - maybe even my breakfast!

Jocie's Mom said...

Thanks for sharing the microwaving trick! Nice little way to save time and energy. Great recipe too. Any excuse to say 'smooshed' is a winner in my book :)

Holly Henry said...

I've made a similar version of these with fresh dill and Parmesan. What a lovely blog! Your food is amazing.

I am now a follower.

Holly
Visit me at www.simplequintessentialcuisine.com

Katerina said...

This type of making the potatoes is traditional to the Cypriot kitchen and since I have tried them I can testify that they are very tasty!

June said...

Brilliant idea cooking the spuds in the microwave instead of boiling them. I never would have thought of that. Love, love, love potatoes - any kind, any way, any how.

That Girl said...

My favorite part of roasted potatoes are the crispy ones, so these sound perfect!

Suman Singh said...

anything with potatoes sounds yummy and delicious to me..and these look so tempting and inviting..great and easy recipe..would love to try this on the weekend..thanks for sharing!
Have a nice weekend! Take care!

Linda said...

For sure I have to try these. They look delicious!! Have a great weekend!

Joanne said...

The crispy brown skin is the best part of roast potatoes in my opinion, so I'm sure I'd love these!

Chris's Gourmet Fashion said...

Hi Mary thanks so much for popping over to my site and leaving your nice comment. What a great site you have here, have just added myself to it (if you liked mine please add yourself too). As I scrolled down your home page, I could only say WOW! so many wonderful dishes including risi e bisi ... your smooshed potatoes look delicious too! I am sure to be back to read more.

Rambling Tart said...

I remember seeing these kind of potatoes in a Jamie Oliver book - he serves them with a traditional English roast dinner. I've been craving them ever since. :-) Yours are GORGEOUS!! :-)

Ginny Hartzler said...

These look yummy, I have never seen a recipe quite like this! I would eat them as the main and only course!

Swathi said...

Potato and garlic and olive oil makes awesome combo. love potato in any form.

sweetlife said...

My girls' love smooshed taters, perfect kiddo treat!

sweetlife

The Teacher Cooks said...

Love potatoes and this method of cookin is so easy> I must try them.

Cooking Gallery said...

The recipe sounds som simple yet the result is BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing this, Mary and have a great weekend :).

The Stoner Gourmand said...

I love it! I also love saying the word 'smooshed'.

Kathy said...

These potatoes looks wonderful and I love that they are called smooshed potatoes. Garlic and potatoes what could be better?

Susan said...

I love the fancy name for these potatoes! They look wonderful & I'll definitely make them soon. Have a lovely weekend!

David said...

Mary, We love roasted potatoes, especially the part that browns up! Great idea...a larger area that's browned!! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

I make these all the time but without garlic...what a yummy alternative. I'm going to make your version next~

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

I am a potato lover and these look amazing! I will love these! Have a very nice weekend Mary!

Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook said...

They look fantastic all smooshed :)

Lori said...

I do a similar thing with my potatoes when I fry them. I place them in water in a large pyrex bowl. I cook them until the are fork tender. Take them out, pat them dry and fry.

Love that word, "smooshed"!

Anne said...

I love this blog, Mary! You have some awesome recipes...so I know I will be visiting often! Smooshed potatoes may be my new comfort food!

Paulina :] said...

This looks so yummy! I love the idea and the name :D

The Harried Cook said...

smooshed potatoes! what a cute name :) that looks & sounds really good... and though i rarely use the microwave for cooking stuff, i like that you cook the potatoes in the microwave - it just makes sense in this case! Thanks for another awesome recipe, Mary! :)

Sanjeeta kk said...

Oh..that is so simple an yum, Mary! Love this easy peasy recipe.

Xinmei @ Pudding Pie Lane said...

I like the word smooshed! Sounds fun :) It's definitely a great way to crisp up potatoes actually, I tried it once and it was delicious!

Elaine said...

That's a great tip to pre-cook the potatoes before roasting them. I like how they look and can see why kids enjoy making and eating them.

Anonymous said...

saying "smooshed" is fun. eating "smooshed" is probably more fun. looks good!

CaSaundraLeigh said...

I am always looking for new ways to use up my 5 lb bag of potatoes--love this!

Cooking Creation said...

We have some form of potatoes as a side weekly. I will be happy to add this to the mix! It sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing! :)

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I love "smooshed" potatoes with a little seas salt and garlic:D

Nica D said...

I know this is an older post, but I wanted to say that I love unique recipes like this. The first time I saw potatoes done up this way was to fry bacon while they are boiling, then fry them in the bacon fat. Then put baked potato fixing on them. Very good that way too, but I could see this way being great to pair up with a roast. I can't wait to try it!

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