Name: Crispy Smashed New Potatoes With Lime, Cilantro, and Spices
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 tsp. salt, divided; 2 lb. baby new potatoes (preferably red), washed; 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds; 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds; 2 tsp. fennel seeds; ¼ cup olive oil; Grated zest of 2 limes (after zesting, cut the limes in half and reserve for squeezing at the end); 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper; ½ tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ bunch cilantro, chopped; Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Crispy smashed potatoes with cilantro and spices.

Photo by Angie Mosier

If you are anything like me, you love potatoes in all shapes and sizes, but often end up making the same potato recipes over and over again. I used to do that with little new potatoes. I like them roasted with olive oil, a little rosemary, and salt—and that was it. That is, until I was introduced to Argentine-style smashed potatoes by John Currence. JC had gone on a trip to Argentina and came back with recipes for chimichurri and crispy new potatoes. The new potatoes are boiled in salted water until just soft, then smashed and pan-fried until they are crispy on the outside. We served them one evening at Snackbar. A couple of weeks later I found myself cooking dinner for friends and decided to try out my “new” potato recipe. As luck would have it, I was making Indian food and didn’t have all the ingredients necessary to make chimichurri. I improvised and came up with this version. It has since become a regular part of my repertoire when those beautiful, freshly dug baby potatoes appear at the farmers market. If you can’t get red baby new potatoes, this recipe works well with other small potatoes such as baby Yukon Golds or fingerlings.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘I Am From Here’ by Vishwesh Bhatt. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 tsp. salt, divided

2 lb. baby new potatoes (preferably red), washed

2 Tbsp. coriander seeds

1 Tbsp. cumin seeds

2 tsp. fennel seeds

¼ cup olive oil

Grated zest of 2 limes (after zesting, cut the limes in half and reserve for squeezing at the end)

1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Step 2
Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water. Add 1 tsp. salt and the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until a knife easily pierces the largest potato, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and set aside to cool.
Step 3
Toast the coriander seeds in a small, dry pan over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds and toast, shaking the pan gently so that the seeds toast evenly and do not burn, until all the spices are fragrant, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and, when cool enough to handle, grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, or with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Step 4
Once the potatoes are dry and cool enough to handle, smash them lightly with the bottom of a small frying pan, flattening them. Do not break them up completely.
Step 5
In a large mixing bowl, toss the smashed potatoes with the oil, lime zest, toasted spice mixture, cayenne, cinnamon, and remaining 1 tsp. salt until nicely coated. Arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown on the outside. Transfer the potatoes to a large platter for serving, then top with a squeeze of lime juice, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, and a few pinches of flaky sea salt.