Cracked Potatoes

I picked up some beautiful, organic baby dutch yellow potatoes on Saturday. I had two recipes in mind - either a potato salad or the pan-fried smashed potatoes in the March issue of Gourmet magazine. I went with the pan-fried, actually taking the idea from Gourmet & the method from Amy Finley (remember the short-lived Gourmet Next Door on the Food Network?) They are absolutely delicious - crisp on the outside & soft on the inside. Yum!

Cracked Potatoes
15 baby yellow potatoes
1/3 cup EVOO
salt/pepper
parmesan cheese

Crack potatoes slightly with rolling pin. Over low heat, add the olive oil to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pan and allow to cook, undisturbed, shaking the pan every 5 minutes or so, until the bottoms of the potatoes are browned, about 8-10 minutes. (Check occasionally to make sure the potatoes aren't browning too quickly.) Turn the potatoes to their second side, replace the lid, and continue cooking undisturbed a further 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook a further 2 to 3 minutes, for the condensation to evaporate. Place potatoes in serving bowl, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

*Over medium heat, my potatoes browned very quickly, so don't walk away from these.