Panfried Smashed Potatoes

Panfried smashed potatoes are the three-ingredient side that punches way above its weight. Small red potatoes go into heavily salted cold water and boil until a fork slides in with almost no resistance. A potato masher flattens them to three-quarter-inch disks on a sheet pan while keeping them intact enough to flip in a skillet.

Then they go swimming in olive oil. A 12-inch skillet, a generous pour of oil, and about 20 minutes of medium-low pan-frying turns the ragged edges into a shatter-crisp, lacy crust while the inside stays creamy. A heavy shower of grated parmesan over the top melts just enough in the residual heat to stick, and cracked black pepper finishes the whole thing. That is the entire recipe.

Chef Tips

• Boil whole with skins on. Peeled potatoes absorb water and fall apart when you smash them.
• Salt the boiling water generously. A tablespoon of salt sounds like too much but it is the only chance to season the potato from the inside.
• Let the potatoes dry on the sheet for a few minutes after smashing. Surface moisture keeps them from crisping when they hit the oil.
• Flip them only once. Constant flipping tears the ragged edges off and those ragged edges are where all the crunch lives.

Variations

• Scatter crushed garlic and rosemary sprigs into the oil for a Tuscan turn.
• Finish with flaky sea salt and smoked paprika instead of parmesan.
• Drizzle with lemon juice and za’atar right before serving for a Middle Eastern twist.