Smoked Smashed Potatoes

Look. The point of this whole website is to post recipes that I like, so obviously I like everything on this website. But these potatoes are different. They changed me. They will change you. They may be the best recipe I’ve ever come up with. Do I sound confident? I do. Lets get started.

The smoke adds just one Calorie

There are a several things (in addition to butter) that make these potatoes yummy. A couple of them are unique, and as far as I know, straight out of my brain. I don’t have the heart to google it, and find out that there are 2,847,85 smoked mashed potato recipes out there already. Here are my provisionally unique and original insights:

Start the cooking process by smoking the potatoes.
Finish by baking them, rather than boiling.

The point of the smoke, is duh, to give your smashees a definite, but not overpowering aroma and flavor of smoke. I like a fruitwood in this situation, something on the delicate side. I used cherry wood. The point of baking rather than boiling is to concentrate flavors by removing some moisture, and to get some caramelization and sweetness. Boiling just dilutes flavors, and in this case, would leach the smoke flavor away. Given that we are using dry heat, and keeping the skins on, it is important to select a potato with a thin, delicate skin. Yukon gold, yes, russet no.

A note about mashing potatoes: Do you like eating cement? Glue? Paste? No? Then don’t over-mash, over-handle, over-mix, over-smash, or over-anything these potatoes. Have a light hand, enjoy the lumps, and enjoy a creamier, fluffier, less gluey texture. Also, you can hold the whole, hot potatoes for a long time in a warm oven, or in a bowl under a cloth, then smash them right before serving them. They don’t hold well once they are mashed.

Olive oil, coarse salt, then lots of smoke over low fire

Hello, my pretties

Rawr! I smash you! But not too much. I don’t want you to be gluey.

Smoked Smashed Potatoes

From my brain, and am I ever proud.

10 to 12 medium, thin skinned potatoes (e.g. yukon gold)
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 Tbsp good unsalted butter, melted
4 Tbsp sour cream, or more if you like
1/2 cup half and half
coarse salt
pepper

Toss potatoes with olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of coarse salt, like kosher, or sea salt. Smoke at low to medium heat, away from the fire, ideally using cherry, apple, or another mild wood. This step is pretty forgiving, which is good, because you will probably be smoking something else at the same time. Smoke for anywhere from 15-25 minutes, depending on how much smoke flavor you want, and how heavy your smoke is. Take them off the fire, and toss them again in the dregs of the olive oil-bowl. You can let them sit for a long while at this stage, if your meal timing demands it. Next, they go on a rack, and into a 400Âº oven. Bake until very tender when poked with a fork.

Add the potatoes, all remaining ingredients, and salt and fresh ground pepper to taste to a mixer, a bowl and a potato masher work fine too. Mix on low speed, until just smashed to the chunkiest texture that you find acceptable. Less mixing is better than more. Serve immediately.

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Smoked Smashed Potatoes

Smoked Smashed Potatoes

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