EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Here I’ll show you the game changing method to getting EXTRA crispy smashed potatoes. Roasted with garlic and rosemary, say hello to your new roast potato!

Smashed Roast Potatoes

I know I do a lot of stuff that might be considered ‘extra’ here on the blog, but you know it’s always for a good cause ‘why do you need to smash a potato?’ I hear you cry! Well, I’m here to tell you exactly why..

The best part of a roast potato is the crispy parts, right? We’re all in agreement here?? Okay good. By gently smashing the potato you’re essentially increasing the surface area and adding more texture to it. Therefore, there’s more opportunity for the potato to flake and become crispy. You’re also making the potato thinner, which also increases the crispiness.

For these smashed potatoes you’re going to want to use baby potatoes aka new potatoes because 1. They’re nice and small, so easy to work with and 2. The skins are will help keep the smashed potato in tact.

Just look and that golden gorgeousness

CRISPY Smashed Potatoes

Okay, so many of you have seen smashed potatoes before. So what makes these different?

* My number 1 tip for getting outrageously crispy smashed potatoes is to use goose or duck fat *

There, the secrets out. Here’s why it works:

Goose and duck fat have high smoking points, which essentially means they can withstand high temperatures without smoking out the kitchen and burning what they’re supposed to be cooking. In terms of smashed potatoes, which are already crispier than your average, it means you can crank up the heat and use more fat/oil than you’d usually be able to. Therefore – extra crispiness.

How to make crispy smashed potatoes (quick summary)

1. Boil baby potatoes until knife tender.
2. Add fat to a pan and roast.
3. Mix in garlic and rosemary.
4. Space out potatoes.
5. Gently smash.
6. Baste with fat then roast.

Can I use Olive Oil?

Short answer – yes. They’ll still work great, but they won’t be quite as crispy/flavoursome. If olive oil is all you’ve got, here’s a summary of what changes you’d have to make:

• Preheat oven to slightly lower temp.
• Place baking tray in the oven without oil until scorching hot.
• Brush/toss the potatoes with olive oil after they’ve steamed.
• Continue recipe as stated, using a tiny bit extra oil to brush the tops once smashed.

Can I use other potatoes?

New potatoes/Baby Potatoes are best as they’re completely coated in skin, meaning they stay in tact better. I have tried with sliced regular potatoes and they don’t work quite as well and more likely fall apart. The smaller the potato the crispier the smashed potato.

EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes

And there we have it! Extra crispy smashed baby potatoes are yours for the taking. Just remember:

• Leave the spuds to steam.
• Make sure you use goose/duck fat and make sure it’s HOT.
• Space them out.
• Add salt at the end to draw out the final bit of moisture.

Hey, whilst you’re here why not check out my other recipes?

Easy Potato Sides

• Roasted Baby Potatoes
• Mini Twice Baked Potatoes
• Lemon Browned Butter Baby Potatoes
• Goose Fat Roast Potatoes
• Crispy Oven Baked Wedges

Alrighty, let’s tuck into these smashed potatoes shall we?!

How to make EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Full Recipe & Video)

5 from 6 votes

EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes

By: Chris Collins

Here I'll show you the game changing method to getting EXTRA crispy smashed potatoes. Roasted with garlic and rosemary, say hello to your new roast potato!

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Equipment

• 12" x 9" Baking Tray
• Large Pot
• Spatula
• Fork or Potato Masher
• Brush

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 20 (approx 1.5lbs/700g) Baby Potatoes
• ▢ 4-5 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
• ▢ 2-3 heaped tbsp Duck or Goose Fat, or enough to fill the base of your pan
• ▢ 1 small bulb of Garlic, cloves removed & skins left on
• ▢ Salt, to taste
• ▢ Fresh Parsley, to garnish

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Instructions 

• Pop your potatoes in cold water and bring to the boil for 20mins, or until knife tender. Drain (don't rinse) and allow to steam dry for 5-10mins, or until they mostly stop steaming (important to release as much moisture as possible)
• Meanwhile, add 3 tbsp goose/duck fat to the tray and place in the oven for 15mins at 220c/430f, or until smoking hot.
• Carefully take tray out the oven and add your garlic and rosemary. Swish around with a spoon to infuse the oil, then space out your potatoes (careful the fat doesn't spit at you).
• One by one gently press down on each potato with a fork, potato masher or even a mug. I recommend going easy on the first one, just to find the limits of the potatoes before it completely breaks apart.
• Use a brush to baste the tops with fat then sprinkle with salt. Pop in the oven for 30-35mins or until deep golden brown. No need to flip, but do feel free to rotate the tray if they're cooking unevenly. They may take longer to completely crisp depending on the size of your spuds.
• Take out the oven, allow to rest for a few mins then plate up with an extra sprinkle of salt (draws out final bit of moisture) and finely diced fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

a) Can I use olive oil instead of goose/duck fat? - short answer is yes, but they won't be as crispy/flavoursome. Duck and goose fat have high smoking points, meaning you can roast them at a super high temperature, hence how they come out so crispy. They also inject a gorgeous rich flavour to the potatoes. Olive oil doesn't add that rich flavour and has a lower smoking point. However if it's all you've got, here's what to do:

• Preheat oven to 200c/390f.
• Place baking tray in the oven without oil until scorching hot.
• Brush/toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil after they've steamed.
• Continue recipe as stated, using a tiny bit of extra oil to brush the tops once smashed.

b) Working carefully, but quickly - You want to keep the process as short as possible, to keep the fat as hot as possible. The more it cools, the more chance the potatoes are just going to soak up the fat and fall apart.

c) Steaming is important - steam is merely the moisture leaving the potatoes, which is good. If you smash them right away they'll be too soggy and will either fall apart, or just won't get crispy.

d) Space - Ensure there's space between each potato, otherwise you run the risk of the potatoes steaming instead of roasting.

e) Calories - based on using 2.5 tbsp goose fat and 650g baby potatoes, shared between 4 people.

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Nutrition

Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.25g | Protein: 3.15g | Fat: 8.26g | Saturated Fat: 2.296g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.985g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.55g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 748mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 2.1g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.25mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

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