“Smashing” Is Not a Usual Recipe Direction

Seldom does a recipe instruct me to smash something.  But then my friend Dorothy invited us for dinner with the promise of serving Smashed Potatoes.

I was intrigued.  Was she planning to use a baseball bat?  How edible would a smashed potato be?  Is this a dish you make only when you’re angry?

We got to Dorothy’s house early so I could witness the smashing.  It turns out the correct verb to describe what Dorothy did was “squishing.”  She flattened the boiled small potatoes with the back of a soup spoon.  No potato innards went flying around the kitchen. 

Then she transferred them to a roasting pan and added a little oil, garlic, onion powder, salt and black pepper.  To make them crispy she, baked them for 20 minutes before transferring them to a serving dish. 

I suppose she could have called them Squished Potatoes, but that doesn’t sound nearly as dramatic. 

Dorothy’s Smashed Potatoes – serves 3-4 

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil + more for greasing
1 pound fingerling or baby potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

Begin preheating the oven to 425 degrees.  Wipe the bottom of a roasting pan with oil and set aside. 

Half-fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil over high heat.  Turn down the heat to medium-high and add the potatoes.  Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce a potato.  Leave the skin on.

Drain the potatoes and place them in the roasting pan.  Using the back of a soup spoon, press down on each potato to flatten it, making sure the potato remains in one piece.  Cover the pieces with oil, chopped garlic, onion powder, salt and black pepper.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to get crispy.

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