Cracked Potatoes

Going to my French classes every day this Summer, has made me crave some French-inspired food…  such is the case with these Cracked Potatoes.  I had seen them in magazines, as part of the Gourmet Next Door show and even in several websites…  so I decided they were easy enough for me to give them a try for lunch.

The cool thing is that these look spectacular for company, but with the addition of fresh lemon or lime juice, they tasted fancier than just your regular boiled and “sort of” fried potato… 

 

 

CRACKED POTATOES

10-12 baby red potatoes, scrubbed well and left whole

2-3 garlic cloves, smashed open

2-3 tbs olive oil

Kosher salt – generous for the boiling water and more for seasoning later

2 tbs fresh parsley for finishing

The juice of 1 lemon or lime

 

1. In a medium sauce pan, boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10-15 minutes.  I try to make them until they’re almost done when pricked with a fork.
2. When the potatoes are almost done, drain them and let them cool off a little.
3. Using something flat, like a plate or the underside of a glass bowl (so you can see what’s happening underneath), press each potato slightly until it cracks, exposing some of its flesh.  Be gentle as to not smash the potato completely… you only need a crack.
4. In a skillet or even in the same pan you used to boil them – just remember that when the potatoes are smashed, they’ll take up more space than previously.   Heat of about 2 tbs of olive oil. Add the garlic cloves that you have just cracked open with the side of your knife.  This will impart a garlic taste to the oil and eventually roast them making them very sweet indeed.   Place the potatoes in the pan and “fry” the potatoes on both sides until the skins look crisp and golden around the edges. 
5. Try not to add any potato that was over smashed, because this would just fry the insides of that potato and create a nice little mess on the bottom of your pan.  Can you tell I speak from experience????
6. Right before the potatoes are done, sprinkle with the fresh parsley and toss to combine.
7. Remove from pan and allow to cool of a little bit.  Sprinkle with a light dusting of kosher salt… and I guess if you have some sea salt or even fleur de sel would make it super French indeed.

 

When you serve them, allow a lemon half for each guest to squirt some lemon juice on top of the potatoes.   This recipe serves 2 or one hungry Madelyn… Mmmmm.