I absolutely love baby red potatoes. I don't know exactly what it is about them, their adorable size, their sweet flavor, maybe their speedy cooking time, perhaps the fact that you never ever peel them. But whatever it is, I just can't get enough of them.
We picked some up at the farm stand this week. There they were in big bushel baskets, so small and red. They actually looked like miniature play food. I had to buy a bunch of them. I am a total sucker for food that is "cute".
I decided to make them plain and simple. Not much to this recipe, and it ends up being a little bit of something different. Nothing that is going to be strange and scare people away, but just enough that it isn't the same as always.
Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds baby potatoes (Yukon Gold, red, etc.)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt, plus addt’l for sprinkling
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
Combine potatoes, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Add butter and gently toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheet, spreading them out in a single layer. Using a potato masher, smash each potato to about 1/2-inch thickness. You could use a heavy glass or mug here if you wanted to. But I prefer the texture of the potato masher. It leaves for lots more crispy peaks and creamy valleys.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Once baked, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp., salt and pepper. Serve hot. You could also top these with a dollop of sour cream or some ranch dressing. They are fantastic served as a side dish with some saucy meat, but we just ate them plain as a snack.
Enjoy!
Remember to season them generously, potatoes just love seasoning.
