Friday, April 2, 2010

Between a french fry and a potato chip

I often feel that potatoes get a bad rep. It's the outcast vegetable that is grouped with pasta, rice, and other starches on the food pyramid. Its lumpy, brown (sometimes blue or red) exterior can't compete with the bright greens of lettuces or the flashy red tomatoes. However, though potatoes may be the humblest looking of vegetables, no one should overlook them: they single-handedly saved Russians from starving to death during their famines. When Russians had no food to eat, they always had potatoes.



Potatoes are the renaissance men of vegetables. They not only dabble a little bit in seemingly every course, but even outshine the other vegetables. They can be cooked in nourishing soups, deep-fried for crispy hot french fries, mass-manufactured into potato chips, baked to eat with cheese and broccoli, mashed with butter to eat on Thanksgiving, and etc.

The potato recipe I'm going to share with you is, as Sarah describes, a cross between a french fry and a potato chip. Called crashed hot potatoes, these potatoes are boiled until fork-tender then smashed, generously slathered with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. Then the smashed potatoes are put into the oven until the cracks and crevices are crispy golden.



The exterior is perfectly crispy, with a slight herb flavor provided by the rosemary. Inside, the potato is soft and yielding, almost melting in your mouth. I ate six of them for lunch today and would've had more, only there wasn't anymore left.



****

CRASHED HOT POTATOES
adapted from Pioneer Woman and Recipes for a Postmodern Planet

Ingredients
12 small potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Make sure the water goes over the potatoes.
2. Add as many potatoes as you want to cook and cook until they are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet. Place tender potatoes on baking sheet with room between each potato.
4. With a potato masher, or a can, press each potato down until the inside cracks out.
5. Brush about a teaspoon of olive oil onto each potato, more if the potatoes are bigger.
6. Generously sprinkle potatoes with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried rosemary (or any fresh or dried herbs you prefer).
7. Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this recipe! it's so simple yet delicious. being as the recent recession has left me almost penniless, i will make this cheap yet filling meal a staple in my diet. thank you!

Katie said...

Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you liked it.

Anonymous said...

I'm actually eating crashed hot potatoes right now! I love your blog! Please upload more recipes soon!!

Lazaro Cooks said...

We met on food buzz. Glad I read your blog. Great detailed post on potaotes. I love them. Especially Yukon Golds. I look forward to following you here. Have a wondeful day!

Jen Cheung said...

hey katie =)
thanks for dropping by my website and supporting me! your awesome. omg i'm a fan of potatoes!! I eat all kinds! fries, mashed, baked etc etc =) i'll be learning a lot from you!! thanks for everything. please do add me on your blogroll. i'll be dropping by a lot ;) take cares swtie

Jen from www.passion4food.ca

Katie said...

Lazaro- I love Yukon Golds. I heard some people put ratatouille on boiled Yukon potatoes, which also sounds delicious.

Jen- I'm glad you liked my post. I'll be sure to drop by your website.

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