Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Small boiled potatoes are flattened and fried until deeply golden and craggy-crisp on both sides. They're quick to make and deliver far more crunch than a plain roast potato.
Based on the listed ingredients, none of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check product labels.
Method
- 1
Boil the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with cold water, add the salt and bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes until fully tender right to the centre. They need to be properly soft all the way through, or they'll crumble apart rather than flatten evenly when smashed.
- 2
Steam dry. Drain and leave the potatoes to stand for 10 minutes so any trapped steam escapes. This dries the surface slightly, which helps them crisp rather than steam once they hit the hot oil.
- 3
Smash the potatoes. Press each potato with the base of a heavy pan until it's about 1.5cm thick, keeping it in one piece. Don't worry about neat edges — the ragged, broken bits are what turn into the crunchiest parts once fried.
- 4
Fry the first side. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering, then lay the potatoes in a single layer and fry without moving for 5-6 minutes until the underside is deep golden.
- 5
Flip and finish. Carefully flip each potato and fry for a further 4-5 minutes until the second side is equally golden and crisp.
- 6
Repeat and season. Repeat with the remaining oil and potatoes, then season with the flaky salt and pepper, scatter over the herbs and serve hot.
Storage
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot frying pan with a little oil until piping hot and crisp again, as a microwave will leave them soft. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 1 g saturated fat per 100 g, 5.3% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 1.1 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
- Source of fibre: 1.7 g fibre per 100 kcal (needs ≥ 1.5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 184 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large pot
- colander
- chopping board
- heavy frying pan or flat-bottomed mug for smashing
- large non-stick or cast-iron frying pan (30 cm)
- thin metal spatula
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 304 kcal |
| Protein | 5.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.9 g |
| of which sugars | 2.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 12.7 g |
| of which saturates | 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 5.3 g |
| Salt | 1.37 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
