Smashed Potatoes with Tuscan Herb Aioli

Smashed Potatoes with Tuscan Herb Aioli

There are a plethora of different potatoes to choose from when making a potato for a side. In this recipe we will use mini red potatoes. These are one of my favorite types of potatoes. Sometimes potatoes have thick skins that can be hard to eat, but these red potatoes have a perfect layer of skin that is not too thick and not too thin. It crisps right up in the oven and tastes amazing!

I love this smashed potato recipe in particular because it allows for a crispy outside and a soft inside. When paired with the tasty Tuscan Herb Aioli they are even better, the aioli has hints of garlic and lemon that really brighten the flavor of the Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and goes great with the potatoes. The seasoning from the thyme and Tuscan Herb Olive Oil is very flavorful and can be noticed in every bite. A perfect side dish or a stunning appetizer!

Products used: Tuscan Herb Olive Oil, Sicilian Sea Salt

Ingredients

Mini red potatoes
¾ cup of water
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
SOOC Sicilian Sea Salt
6 tablespoons SOOC Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
For Tuscan Herb Aioli:
~⅓ cup cup SOOC Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
2 egg yolks
½ lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic, microplaned/grated
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 500℉ and adjust oven racks to the highest and lowest positions.

Spread potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and pour ¾ cup of water onto the baking sheet. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place potatoes on the bottom rack.

Cook potatoes in the oven until easily pokable with a skewer, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove potatoes from the oven, drain any leftover water from the baking sheet and let sit for 10 minutes.

Coat the potatoes with ~3 tablespoons of olive oil and gently smash them with a second baking sheet by firmly pressing the second baking sheet on top of the potatoes on the first baking sheet until they are about ⅓ in thick.

Season the potatoes with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, fresh thyme, and Sicilian Sea Salt.

Put potatoes on the top rack in oven for about 15 minutes. Then, move to the bottom rack for ~20 mins or until crispy and golden brown.

Remove from oven and serve immediately!

For the Tuscan Herb Aioli:

In a medium mixing bowl with a non slip bottom or placed on top of a wet rag/wet cloth to prevent spinning and moving, mix together egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.

VERY SLOWLY stream in ¼ cup of Tuscan Herb Olive Oil while whisking, followed by the remaining ~1 cup of flavorless oil until aioli thickens. If you add the oil too fast, your aioli will 'break' and the egg and oil will not combine or emulsify. You will know it is broken if it doesn’t thicken and looks grainy. If you broke your aioli, you will need to restart and add the oil slower. Don't be afraid to stop streaming the oils and whisk for a second or two to help emulsify the oil you've already added.