You cannot go wrong with these salt and vinegar smashed potatoes. A crispy outside with a hit of vinegar and a fluffy inside make them the perfect side dish.
Smashed potatoes are a welcome side dish, and they even make a tasty snack. One of my favorite chips are salt and vinegar and this is my favorite way to make and excuse to have them with dinner. These are also a fun way to switch up cooking potatoes that is very low effort and taste great. They are also great for meal prep since you can make quite a few at a time easily.
In this recipe
There really isn’t much in this recipe. Simplicity is better and this allows these potatoes to go with almost any protein you want to pair them with.
Potatoes: You will want to choose an all-purpose potato such as a Yukon gold for this recipe and they should be small to medium in size.
Vinegar: I use malt vinegar, but any mild vinegar will work here. Feel free to experiment with white/red wine, apple dice, champagne, or rice vinegar.
Chives: add a light herbal and slight onion flavor to the potatoes
Types of potatoes
Whenever making a potato dish you want to consider what type of potato you are using and if it is the best fit for the recipe.
Starchy: These are potatoes that have a low moisture content. They are the ones that are great for frying or mashing. Starchy potatoes soak up butter or cream like they have nothing better to do. For example, Russet and Jewel Yams fit into this category.Â
Waxy: These are the potatoes that have a higher moisture content and a thinner skin. They can be cooked with their skin on and work well for stew and roasting since they hold their shape. Examples of this would be red and new potatoes.Â
All-purpose: This kind of potato is the best of both worlds. It has a lower moisture content than waxy potatoes so they can be coated in butter and cream for mashed potatoes and also hold their shape when cooked in a stew. Great examples of these are Yukon Gold and All Blue potatoes.Â
Start with cold water.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with potatoes is to use hot water before you put them on the stove. You want to start with cool water, this will make sure the potatoes heat evenly. If you use hot water before placing them on the stove the outside will be cooked while the inside is raw. This can lead to the outside starting to break down before the inside is cooked.
Making the smashed potatoes
Once the potatoes are done taking their bath it is time to let them cool down enough to handle and smash until they are about 1 cm thick. They should still be hot because this is what will help them stay nice and crispy. If they cool off too much the potatoes will absorb all of the butter and oil. This can lead to them being greasy or oily once they are done cooking instead of soft and pillowy in the middle and crispy on the outside.
Looking for other potato recipes?
Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Potato masher
- Lined sheet pan
- Pastry brush
- Colander
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes small or medium in size
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted, melted
- 1 tablespoon malt vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chives chopped
- ½ tablespoon salt kosher
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in the Dutch oven and add cold water until it covers the potatoes by an inch. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat the medium and cook for 15-20 minutes or until a fork or knife inserted into the potatoes passes through easily.
- While the potatoes are cooking preheat the oven to 425°F, 220°C or gas mark 6. In a bowl mix the butter and olive oil.
- Once the potatoes are cooked pour them into a colander and allow them to cool enough for you to handle but still hot.
- Place on a lined sheet pan and using the potato smasher press down until the potatoes are about a centimeter thick. Brush with the butter and olive oil. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes become brown and crispy.
- Sprinkle on the chives and vinegar.
Nutrition
