“Crash Hot Potatoes” Are Impossibly Crispy
Breaking news: I just found my soulmate potato. Yes, really! I have pretty strict parameters when it comes to the potatoes I’m willing to tackle on a weeknight. Ever since joining The Kitchn team, my potato repertoire has expanded: Every week I make these crispy skillet-fried potatoes (read about all the reasons why you should, too), and now I’ve been dabbling with these crispy cottage fries (which is the easiest way to make something that resembles a french fry from the comfort of your oven — no frying!).
When I came across our crash hot potatoes, I knew this was the next potato recipe to try. I’m a sucker for a classic smashed potato — have you tried this method before? It was all the rage maybe six or seven years ago, when recipe videos of a mason jar furiously smashing boiled potatoes into pancakes was all over the internet. The crash hot potato is apparently Australia’s version of the smashed potato. The recipe follows the same vibe: You boil until tender, smash on a baking sheet, toss with oil — I like to do a mixture of olive oil and melted butter — and roast until crispy.
Get the recipe: Crash Hot Potatoes
Why This Recipe Really Works
We’re chasing the coveted texture of a super-crispy potato, while making sure the insides are as fluffy as can be. This recipe achieves that in a couple ways: Tossing them in a generous amount of oil so they’re superslick. Adding them to a 500º oven — yes, hot! — to achieve crackly skin. You brilliantly start them on the lowest rack so the bottoms of the potato have time to take on a crust, then move to the highest rack to blast the tops (and all those exposed potato parts).
The resulting texture is a cross between a fluffy baked potato and a greasy, golden french fry. Let’s be real: Is there anything better?! If this isn’t also your soulmate potato, I’m not sure I trust you :).
Get the recipe: Crash Hot Potatoes
