Garlic Smashed Potatoes

OK! Here goes. We were having steaks for dinner tonight. And while I do try to avoid white potatoes...sometimes... So, what to do with them? Mashed? No. Baked? Boring. I know. Smashed!


This is so simple and OMG, so garlicky good...So, what do we need?

One russet or baking potato per person. A few tablespoons of butter, a few cloves of garlic, kosher salt and black pepper. Here we go.

Boil the potatoes. Chuck 'em in a pan and stick 'em on the back of the stove. Boil them 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. A knife slid into them should meet only slight resistance. Not boiled to mush, but no longer hard in the middle.

Take them out of the water and sit them aside and let them dry for a moment. This will take about 30 seconds, unless it's boiling hot in your kitchen like it was in mine. Then, it might take a few.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and grab your potato masher. Give each potato one good smash. It will break open and flatten a bit.

Now, cut the root end off 2-3 cloves of garlic. Smash it on the counter with the flat of your knife and peel off the skins. Place the cloves on your cutting board, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and mince it fine. Adding the salt helps keep the garlic from sticking to your knife. Slide it off the side of the knife as it builds up. Then use the side of the knife to flatten the mass out and continue chopping until it is very fine.

Melt 2-4 Tablespoons of butter and mix in the garlic. Paint the garlic butter all over the smashed potatoes with a pastry brush. Make sure to get all the garlic out of the dish! Sprinkle with a little more kosher salt and black pepper.

Slide into 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are browned, the garlic is crisped and the butter is sizzling all over them.

Use a spatula to slide one smashed potato per person onto the serving plate. Done! And OMG, so delicious, garlicky, crispy, salty...you gotta try these.