sides — The Little Fork — The Little Fork

I'm a big fan of potatoes. Somewhere along they way, they became one of my favorite sides.

When I was little, my mom exclusively bought yukon gold potatoes. I looked down on all other types of potatoes until I learned that every potato has a best use. But yukon golds are still my favorite, and I fall back on buying them when I just put "potatoes" on the shopping list. They are delicious mashed, as hash browns ("scattered and covered," please), roasted, and, of course, smashed.

We try to only buy organic potatoes because of the h igh level of pesticides on the conventionally-grown ones. In general, I like to serve them with the skin on, not only because my boyfriend tends to like more rustic preparations, but also because most of a potato's fiber is in the skin.

I start off by washing the potatoes and scrubbing them with my little potato brush. If they are big, and they usually are, I cut them in half and cook them at a light boil until they are cooked through. I start the potatoes as soon as possible because they really benefit from sitting in a colander and drying out a bit.

Once I'm less than fifteen minutes from being done with cooking, I heat up a cast iron skillet on medium heat, add some (okay, a lot usually) olive oil, and lay the potatoes in, cut side down. Potatoes are really forgiving so they are easy to cook. You want to add a good amount of olive oil because crispy potatoes are one of life's delicious things. That's what you are going for. But not too much, because you are going to finish it with a really nice oil. I have one of those cocktail pourers on my olive oil, so a good two or three second pour is good for two big potatoes. I choose a skillet that fits best the amount of potatoes. In this case, it's one of my new Griswolds, a 9", that I found at a flea market up in Rabun County, and the smallest cast iron I have. Don't use a non-stick for this recipe. A "stick" pan works best. This Griswold is only new to me, not to the world. Finding good cast iron at flea markets is something I like to do during my adventures, even if it sometimes mean I have to reseason them.

Once the potatoes are in the skillet, I smash them down with a potato masher, add salt and pepper, and let it crisp up. I'm pretty generous with both, believing that properly seasoned food is critical. If I have extra time while everything else finishes up, I'll scoop and mix it and re-lay it out with a spatula. If not, none the wiser. I add more olive oil if it looks dry.

While the potatoes crisp up, I can worry about more pressing issues like making sure the spinach doesn't burn and the trout is searing up as expected.

When everything else is ready, the potatoes go into a bowl for serving. I top it with chopped fresh parsley and a really generous amount of extra virgin olive oil all over it. Fresh herbs can really make a dish. Todd Ginsberg taught me that.

We usually use Il Bel Cuore, which we buy either at Peachtree Road Farmers Market or Storico Fresco. I've grown really partial to its very green fresh flavor for all that I use for finishing dishes or in raw sauces. You want to be sure to add the oil while it's hot/warm so that it soaks it all up.

This is one of my favorite bowls made by Earthborn Pottery, which we discovered on a visit to Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Their bowls are perfect for serving sides at home.

When serving, dig deep so you get some of the olive oil. You'll get the hang of how much to add so you don't end up with a massive pool of oil at the end. If undersalted, pass salt at the table. You know it's undersalted if it doesn't make you go "mmmmmm!" when you put it into your mouth.

My favorite smashed potatoes

Ingredients:
Potatoes, preferably yukons golds. One large potato will satiate one potato lover, but two will give you enough for leftovers.
Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste
Regular olive oil, for sauteing
Good finishing extra virgin olive oil -- I prefer Umbrian but pick your favorite
Chopped parsley, preferably Italian flat parsley

Preparation:
1. Wash and clean potatoes as needed.
2. Lightly boil potatoes until soft through. Test by poking in a paring knife. If knife moves smoothly through potatoes and they don't stick to the knife, potatoes should be done, usually 20-25 minutes.
3. Heat skillet, preferably cast iron. When skillet is hot, add olive oil. When oil is hot, add potatoes, cut side down.
4. Smash potatoes with potato masher. Salt and pepper generously, to taste. Add more oil to edges of potatoes if they look dry.
5. Optionally mix potatoes to increase ratio of crispy potatoes. Add more oil if necessary.
6. When potatoes are done (or the rest of the meal is done), put potatoes in a bowl. Top with chopped parsley, and pour over good finishing extra virgin olive oil, like 1/4 cup for two.
7. Dig deep when serving. Enjoy!