Shatter Potatoes
On the mend this week so another short and sweet one
This was intended to be a reflection on turning 33 and some details on a few great bottles of wine but I'm fighting off a nasty cold, so planned festivities will have to wait until I can stay awake for more than a few hours and actually smell and taste things. In the meantime let me preach to you about the greatness of half-boiled and baked potatoes.
There are a lot of ways to cook potatoes. Fry em, boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew. But par boiling and finishing the tubers in an oven is my current favorite.
I've found this method works best for smaller varieties: think fingerlings, red potatoes, and purple majestics, but quartering up yukons and russets is likely worth a shot. There are a lot of recipes for this method but I'll provide the basic framework for what is working for me.
Salt a pot of water big enough to contain the amount of potatoes you want to cook and set over high heat. Preheat the oven to 400F and set a pan or cast iron skillet in the over to preheat. Once the water starts to simmer and is about to boil, add your potatoes and set a timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pierce a few of the potatoes to check their texture. They should still be a bit firm but with a little give. Drain the water from the pot, and shake the potatoes to rough up their edges.
Add avocado oil (or a high-heat tolerant oil) to the pan and transfer the potatoes. Gently mash the potatoes, like you would a smash burger, to flatten them slightly. Season the potatoes however you like. I highly recommend chopping a few tablespoons of fresh rosemary with an anchovy fillet and sprinkling the mixture over the potatoes, with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
The potatoes come out like a dream: ultra crispy exterior paired with a perfectly fluffy interior. They essentially shatter in your mouth. Serve over a green spring salad with salmon, add a fried egg in the middle and scatter capers around, or have on the side with chicken thighs, a cut of steak.