Crispy Smashed Yukons
A unique approach to making a Yukon Gold potato crispy on the outside, but creamy on the inside with the help of duck fat and a heavy hand.
This is more about technique than about a recipe, per se. There are very few ingredients: Yukon Gold Potatoes, of course; then, olive oil, duck fat, Montreal Steak Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Originally found on the Shockingly Delicious recipe blog, it was called "Crispy Smashers" and then after the fact, "Irish Roadkill." Personally, I think food not only needs to look good and taste good, but it also needs to sound good and the latter clearly did not. So, I have altered the name to something that evokes a more visually appealing image.
I used her recipe only for inspiration and did very little else she did, although her smashing technique was clever and one which I adopted.
But…duck fat. She didn't use duck fat.
"Duck Fat. Makes all the difference."
- Santino D'Antonio, John Wick: Chapter 2
There are many variations on this theme if you search for it. Separately cooked potatoes are smashed whole, then cooked a second time at a higher temperature until they are crispy. It’s the same concept as a Belgian Fry, except you’re oven frying, not deep fat frying. Duck fat is perfect for this; it has a high smoking point and like the man said, it makes all the difference.
I tested Russet Potatoes, Red or New Potatoes and Yukon Golds; the latter won by a mile in terms of taste and durability. But the main thing is, you want potatoes about the size of a large egg.
Many bloggers conducted the first round of cooking the potato either in the microwave or by boiling them, but I decided to cook mine in the oven, which seemed logical since that’s where the potatoes are going for the second round of cooking, anyway.
Finally, Montreal Steak Salt is non-negotiable here. It’s a totally different potato without it. The seasoning did, in fact, originate in a Montreal delicatessen in the 1940s based on their rub for making Pastrami. It’s perfect for this recipe. Don’t disappoint yourself here.
You will need a large sheet pan for this so that you have room enough between each potato after smashing them, but the ingredients and technique for the dual cooking process are otherwise simple.
Crispy Smashed Yukons
Ingredients
- 12 round Yukon Gold potatoes, about the size of an egg
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 12 tsp duck fat
- 6 tsp Montreal Steak Salt
- 12 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- .Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
- Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly, then rub them in olive oil. Roast in the oven on the top rack for 30-50 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Using a paper plate folded in half to protect the palm of your hand, smash each potato until it spreads out in an even, relatively thin layer. You want the potato to be as thin as possible without masticating it or causing it to form separate pieces.
- Raise the oven temperature to 450°F degrees.
- Drizzle a teaspoon of duck fat onto the top of each potato and spread it around with the back of a spoon.
- Dust each potato with the Montreal Steak Seasoning and a grind of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Return the sheet pan to the oven on the top rack for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crispy.
- Allow too cook slightly before picking them up with your hands to eat like a giant potato chip.
