One of my goals for 2014 is to cook more, and so far I’ve managed to stay the course. But I’ve found it’s quite easy to get stuck in a side dish rut. Potatoes are my absolute favorite food group, so I decided to branch out from my usual mashed or oven fried variety. The lemon, garlic (and parmesan!) give these potatoes a delicious flavor. I’ve served these to guests twice now, and they’re always a smash (pun intended)!
Try them out for yourself, and let me know what you think.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby yukon gold potatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- Zest of 1 lemon cut into long strips
- 2 cloves garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place potatoes in a medium pot with chicken stock, lemon zest and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
- Drain potatoes, and set the lemon zest aside.
- Resist the temptation to slurp down the delicious lemon and garlic infused broth… or not.
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and coat generously with olive oil Oil. Use the base of a small saucepan or a large cup to gently flatten each potato. This step goes a lot more smoothly the softer your potatoes are at this point.
- Arrange the smashed potatoes on the oven tray with the reserved lemon zest and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for ~40 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.
I’ve served this dish with a simple roast chicken and my to-die-for chicken parm meatballs, but you could really pair them with any main dish… or just eat a big ‘ol plate of potatoes on their own.
Bon Appétit!
