Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Boiled potatoes smashed flat and roasted until the edges shatter — the crust is the whole point.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Written
Method
-
Boil the potatoes in generously salted water until a knife slides in with no resistance, about 15 minutes.
-
Drain and let steam dry for a few minutes, then spread on a sheet pan and press each potato flat with the bottom of a glass until it splits open.
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Drizzle with the olive oil, scatter the garlic and rosemary over the top, and season heavily with salt and pepper.
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Roast at 450°F until the edges are deeply browned and shattering-crisp, 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
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Discard the rosemary sprigs, finish with lemon zest, and serve straight off the pan.
Notes
The boil-then-smash step is what separates this from a regular roast potato: it cooks the inside fully soft first, then breaks open enough surface area for the oil to turn crisp in a way a whole potato never does. Don’t skip letting them steam-dry before smashing — wet potatoes steam in the oven instead of browning.
Swap the rosemary for thyme or a scattering of smoked paprika if that’s what’s around. These hold up fine next to something rich off the grill, but they’re sturdy enough to eat on their own with nothing but the lemon and salt.