Smashed Herb Potatoes
Boiled baby potatoes smashed flat, drizzled with herb oil, and roasted until irresistibly crispy — a vegan and gluten-free crowd-pleaser.
- 2 lbbaby potatoes(Yukon Gold or red, about golf-ball size)
- 4 tbspolive oil
- 2 sprigfresh rosemary(leaves finely chopped)
- 4 sprigfresh thyme(leaves only)
- 3 clovegarlic(minced)
- 1 tspflaky sea salt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped, for serving)
Boil and smash potatoes up to 4 hours ahead. Keep on baking sheet, cover loosely, and roast to order right before serving for maximum crispness.
- 1Preheat oven to 425°F. Place baby potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until just tender when pierced with a fork.
- 2Drain potatoes and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Let steam dry for 5 minutes.
- 3Using the flat bottom of a glass or a heavy mug, press each potato flat to about half-inch thickness. Do not break them apart completely.
- 4Mix olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush or drizzle generously over every smashed potato.
- 5Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until edges are deeply golden and crispy. Flip potatoes halfway through for even crisping.
- 6Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
The two keys to truly crispy smashed potatoes are drying the potatoes thoroughly after boiling and roasting at high heat. Any residual moisture will steam rather than crisp. For extra richness, toss a handful of smashed garlic cloves onto the baking sheet to roast alongside the potatoes.
The potato has been central to Irish culture, economy, and identity since it was introduced to Ireland in the late 16th century, traditionally attributed to Sir Walter Raleigh or other English colonists returning from the Americas. By the mid-18th century, the potato had become the near-exclusive food source for a large portion of Ireland's rural poor — an estimated three million people subsisted almost entirely on potatoes by the early 19th century, consuming as much as 14 pounds of potatoes per person per day. This dependence made the Irish Famine of 1845–1852 — caused by the water mold Phytophthora infestans destroying successive potato harvests — the most catastrophic food crisis in 19th-century Europe, killing approximately one million people and forcing the emigration of another two million within five years. The smashed potato technique — par-cooking potatoes, pressing them flat, then roasting at high heat in fat — produces a crispy, golden exterior with a creamy, yielding interior: two textures in one. This method is practical, versatile, and particularly suited to waxy potatoes like baby potatoes or Charlottes, which hold their structure through both the pressing and the high-heat roast. Today the potato remains a point of culinary pride in Irish cooking, transformed by chefs and home cooks from the survival staple it once was into a celebrated ingredient across every preparation.