Lemon Caper Smashed Potatoes

Amarante

Thu, Apr 28 2022, 7:12 am

This was an excellent version of the classic lemon roasted potatoes which are often baked with chicken. The capers and herbs elevated the flavors and the technique of parboiling and then smashing and sautéing for crispiness elevated the dish.

Since you need to boil the potatoes ahead of time anyway so they are cool, the dish comes together quickly

LEMON-CAPER SMASHED POTATOES

Excerpt From: Leah Koenig - Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen.

One of my favorite Yiddish folk songs (don’t get too impressed, I know about five in total) is “Bulbes”—a song that jokingly laments the monotony of the shtetl peasant diet. The lyrics go: “Sunday potatoes, Monday potatoes / Tuesday and Wednesday potatoes / Thursday and Friday potatoes / Shabbat for novelty a kugel with potatoes / Sunday, once again potatoes.” Well, if you have to eat potatoes every day of the week, this is how to do it. Boiled until tender then lightly flattened, panfried, and drizzled with a lemony dressing spiked with capers and thyme, these potatoes are anything but boring. You can use either red- or yellow-skinned new potatoes (or a mix of both) for this dish; just make sure they are all about the same size so they cook evenly.

SERVES 4

1 1/2 LB/680 G RED OR YELLOW NEW POTATOES, UNPEELED
1/3 CUP/80 ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PLUS 3 TBSP
ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LEMON
2 TBSP BRINE-PACKED CAPERS, DRAINED, PATTED DRY, AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 TBSP FINELY CHOPPED SHALLOT
2 TSP FINELY CHOPPED FRESH THYME
1 TSP SWEET PAPRIKA
KOSHER SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1. Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 in/2.5 cm. Set over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook, partially covered, until tender but not falling apart, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain well and let cool to the touch, then transfer the potatoes to a flat surface and gently crush them with the heel of your hand. (The potatoes should be flattened but generally intact.)

2. Heat the 1/3 cup/80 ml olive oil in a large pan set over medium heat until shimmering. Lay the potatoes in a single layer in the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 10 to 15 minutes total. (If they do not all fit in the pan at once, cook them in two batches.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 3 Tbsp oil, the lemon zest and juice, capers, shallot, thyme, and paprika. Season with salt (if needed, the capers will make it salty) and pepper. Drizzle the potatoes with the lemon-caper sauce and gently stir to combine. Serve warm.