Smashed Garlic Potatoes (Printable)

Fluffy smashed baby potatoes roasted and drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil and fleur de sel.

# What You Need:

→ Potatoes

01 - 2.2 lbs baby potatoes, washed
02 - 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt for boiling

→ Garlic Oil

03 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
04 - 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

→ Finishing

06 - Fleur de sel to taste
07 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 1½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until fork-tender. Drain thoroughly.
03 - Arrange cooked potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Using a potato masher or the bottom of a sturdy glass, gently smash each potato to approximately ½ inch thick.
04 - Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the potatoes and gently toss to coat evenly.
05 - Roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes until edges are golden and crispy.
06 - While potatoes roast, heat the remaining olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic and gently cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat.
07 - Remove potatoes from oven and immediately drizzle with garlic-infused oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, black pepper, and chopped parsley.
08 - Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The edges get impossibly crispy while the insides stay tender and fluffy—you get two textures in one bite.
  • It's ready in under an hour but tastes like you've been fussing all afternoon.
  • The garlic oil does the heavy lifting on flavor, so you can serve this with almost any main course.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of draining the boiled potatoes thoroughly—excess water is the enemy of crispiness and will steam your edges instead of crisping them.
  • Keep your garlic heat low and your attention high; garlic's the one ingredient that can go from fragrant to burnt in about 30 seconds, so don't step away from the stove.
03 -
  • Use a potato masher with a flat base rather than a rippled one—it creates more even smashing and therefore more consistent crisping across all your potatoes.
  • Cold water boiling is intentional; it ensures even cooking from the outside in and keeps the potatoes' exteriors intact rather than starting them in hot water where they can split.
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