EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes

overhead of smashed potatoes on baking tray fresh out the oven

5 from 6 votes

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 Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, British

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £1 / $1

Equipment

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

Ingredients

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

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.

Nutrition