Smashed Potatoes

Tonight I tried to make smashed potatoes.When I say "tried" I mean that I didn't follow a recipe. I didn't even look at a picture. I pictured in my mind what I thought they should look like by referencing my memory bank of all things Pinterest.  Not that I have ever actually made anything from Pinterest, but one day... I will.  Maybe.  So I used my imagined picture of smashed potatoes to create what we will call a "recipe."  I am using the term very lightly. 

For reader reference, here is what I was picturing in my head.  Photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. 

I had five new potatoes left over from our farm delivery last weekend. Three small, 1 sm/med, and one large.  

Imagined recipe step 1:  boil the potatoes just enough, but not all the way. I put on a pot of water with sea salt and brought it to a boil. I cut the large potato in half becuse it just made better sense and threw them in. No timer.. I'm too professional for that.  

Imagined recipe step 2: Smash that potato. I removed the pot from the heat and got out a plate to smash on. First  I tried a fork. It wasn't going well, so obviously I got out my meat tenderizer. Then I realized the potato is so far from cooked that I needed to stop. I referenced step one and the pot went back on the burner.  

Imagined recipe step 2.1: Heat off, potato in tongs, potato on plate. Meat tenderizer in hand and.... well, SPLAT. The potatoes are definitely cooked. On number two I tried the fork again, but the flat side of the mallet just looked so much more appealing. Guess what?  I over smashed again... and then again. 3 potatoes down, 1 and two halves to go. Could a potato masher be the perfect instrument to smash with? By now, nothing can be worse than what I've already done, so I mash.  It's fine.  Let's just say these potatoes aren't going to win any beauty competitions. 

These are my smashing tools. The fork had already been re-purposed.

Imagined recipe step 3: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I actually should have put this as step 1, right?  Why 400, you ask? (you do ask, trust me) I'm glad you asked. 400 degrees is for professionals like us. We are the real deal. 350 is for brownies and cookies and amateurs. (But seriously, I love 350)  Preheat to 400 is for my special smashed potatoes. By now, they are a little overly smashed. Just as a simple update, we are somewhere in between smashed and mashed. 

Not pretty.

Imagined recipe step 4: Scrape "smashed" pieces onto baking sheet. I sprayed (gasp!) mine with olive oil prior to placing them on there. I then formed them into piles that might have resembled the potatoes they once were. In order to assist in covering up my smashing mistakes and bring us back to our professional roots, I cut some fresh rosemary from our bush and sliced it with herb scissors over the potatoes. Then a little sprinkle of kosher sea salt. When in doubt: salt and herbs.  

Salt, rosemary, potato piles, and some roasted garlic to make it smell believable.

I put the potatoes in the oven at 400 but to continue with my bad choices, I decide once more to not use a timer. This isn't going where you think it is, but it could have very easily. No timer on the stove is one thing, but all I need is one good distraction (there are lots of options) and you've got little more than crispy black charcoal potatoes. Tonight I was lucky and focused. I looked in on them from time to time waiting for the brown crispy goodness to solidify evenly. It did and I took those suckers out.  It took about 30 minutes if you are actually keeping track of my "recipe" at this point.

So here is where I come clean. It would make a great story if they were awful, but they were SO GOOD.  Also, they were really, really ugly. They didn't come off of the baking sheet without falling completely apart so on the plates they became more like piles of potato pieces. The oven made the outsides completely crunch and crispy and salt and rosemary never fail me, especially in the oven.  Are you ready for the ugliness? Here you go:

This is not exactly what my imagination was working toward.

Here's the fun thing: It's great to get in the kitchen and just TRY to cook something. It doesn't matter if you know exactly what you are doing or not. Well it does sometimes, so don't do this kind of thing when you have company coming for dinner. Speaking of getting things right, next time I'll probably follow this recipe for Crash Hot Potatoes from The Pioneer Woman.

This is my first blog. I was inspired by a friend to help moms and wives and people in general see how easy it is go cook good things for you and for your family, toddlers included. Sometimes you have to get outside of your comfort zone, but that's good. 

I've under-cooked chicken, I strive for healthy 80% of the time, I believe in dessert, I forget to measure my oils and vinegars, I don't turn down fresh bread and butter, I sometimes under-season but I never over salt. I am constantly searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I cook some amazing dishes and I have fun doing it. I love teaching my daughter how to enjoy good food. I'm not a chef,  but when I've had enough wine I pretend to be. I love food, I love wine, and I love my family. I'm Raising Texas.

- RT