You’ll love smashed fingerling potatoes for their irresistible combination of crispy exteriors and creamy interiors, creating a textural symphony in every bite!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
- What Are Fingerling Potatoes?
- What Is the Meaning of Smashed Potatoes?
- Which Potatoes for Smashed Potatoes?
- How To Make Ahead, Store, And Reheat?
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- Instructions
- How to Make This Side Dish Perfectly [Expert Tips]
- What To Serve With This Side Dish
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
Why You’ll Love Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Smashed fingerling potatoes are like your favourite French fries; crispy potatoes with a soft fluffy centre! They are so delicious and incredibly easy to make. As simple as boiling, smashing and baking!
It is a super versatile side dish that can be enjoyed for any kind of meal, be it entertaining friends or a quick al fresco lunch. Love this elevated version of a classic roast potato which yields so much more joy than you can imagine.
These golden brown, crispy smashed potatoes are the best recipe for picky eaters when you don’t have many ingredients and are just up for the best potatoes ever!
What Are Fingerling Potatoes?
Fingerling potatoes are small, elongated potato varieties known for their slender shape and thin skin. They are a type of heritage potato that typically range in size from 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) in length and have a knobby, irregular appearance.
Fingerling potatoes come in various colours, including yellow, red, and purple, and they often have a waxy texture, making them well-suited for smashing and roasting.
This is best served with a dip or drizzling some of our creme fraiche and chives dressing or creamy garlic dressing on top. Yum!
What Is the Meaning of Smashed Potatoes?
The term “smashed potato” refers to a method of preparing potatoes that are boiled or steamed until tender and then lightly crushed, resulting in a rustic and textured dish.
Smashed potatoes are not mashed to a smooth consistency like traditional mashed potatoes but rather left slightly chunky or uneven.
This technique creates a balance between creamy and crispy textures, with some parts of the potatoes remaining intact while others get flattened or broken, often resulting in crispy edges when roasted or fried.
Which Potatoes for Smashed Potatoes?
When making smashed potatoes, it’s best to use potatoes that have a waxy texture and hold their shape well when cooked. This helps to achieve the desired texture and appearance of the dish such as our classic potato salad with bacon.
This is opposite to a floury potato like Yukons which are great for mashing as they are low in water content and allow for that fluffy cooked texture. We used these for our Korean potato salad.
Fingerling potatoes are a popular choice for smashed potatoes due to their small size, unique shape, and waxy texture. They have a creamy interior and can be easily smashed while maintaining their form.
How To Make Ahead, Store, And Reheat?
If you’re time poor or you’re simply cooking up a feast and need to time your menu, this fingerling potatoes recipe is what you need.
Ahead of time: These smashed fingerling potatoes need to be parboiled before they go in the oven. You can do this process at the start of the day. Boil and smash them ahead of time, let them cool and place them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
Storing: Allow the smashed fingerling potatoes to cool down and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This will last 3 days.
Reheating: Place the potatoes on a sheet pan. Brush with some olive oil or add a little butter to revive it a little and if they are looking a bit dry. Put the oven on at 180°C or 350°F and bake until golden brown. A reminder to flip them halfway through for an even finish.
Recipe Overview
Flavour/Texture: You’ll love smashed fingerling potatoes for their unique texture and rich flavour. Their tender, creamy interiors contrasted with crispy, golden exteriors make for a delightful culinary experience that both adults and kids will love.
Fingerling potatoes are known to be nutty, buttery, and subtly sweet. Rosemary adds woody and peppery aftertastes to the potatoes.
Ease: A truly simple side dish. Boil potatoes, smash and bake. That is all there is to it.
Time: These smashed mini potatoes will take just over an hour to cook.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for smashed fingerling potatoes:
Fingerling potatoes: Look for potatoes around the same size for a more even cook. The smaller in size, the better for more crispy edges to enjoy. Just get more potatoes if they are particularly small. If you have extra, try our medley of roasted potato salad with anchovy dressing.
Rosemary: Woody, peppery and even slightly bitter, rosemary adds wonderful herbaceous notes.
Garlic cloves: Adding the lovely aromas and smells of garlic to the recipe.
Olive oil: To give the fingerling potatoes that much sought after crispy exterior.
Butter: Nothing beats melted butter on baked potatoes.
Variations and Substitutions
Vegan option: For these fingerling smashed potatoes, we are using both oil and butter. Omit butter for a vegan version, or use vegan butter to amplify the recipe.
Herbs: Thyme is a great substitute for rosemary. You can also add fresh herbs when serving such as chives and parsley.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder can be used in this recipe instead of fresh garlic, as they are prone to burning a little. Just toss some in with the olive oil when you’re coating the fingerling potatoes. You can add onion powder, too, if so desired.
Sour cream: Add a dollop of sour cream on the smashed fingerling potatoes when serving or perhaps serve on the side for dipping. Perfect accompaniment.
Citrus: Squeeze a dash of lemon over the potatoes just before serving if you love lemon on everything!
Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make smashed fingerling potatoes:
Wash the fingerling potatoes and give them a brush to remove all dirt.
Place potatoes into a pot of water and bring to the boil for approximately 20 minutes.
Drain and pour potatoes back into the pot and put the lid on. Let it steam for 10 minutes.
Smash garlic cloves.
Remove the leaves off 1 sprig of rosemary.
Cut butter up into 12 small pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add olive oil, rosemary leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Add fingerling potatoes and coat well.
Brush 2 sheet pans with olive oil. Spread out fingerling potatoes evenly. With a heavy bottomed jar, press down gently onto the potatoes to smash them until they are about ½ inch thick.
Add small pieces of butter on top of the potatoes.
Add whole rosemary springs and smashed garlic cloves.
Put into the oven at 220°C or 425°F for 45 minutes. Flip them halfway.
Remove and serve while hot.
How to Make This Side Dish Perfectly [Expert Tips]
Cook the potatoes: Parboil the fingerling potatoes before baking. Ensure that they are placed in a pot of cool water and then bring it to a boil. This ensures the potatoes are evenly cooked.
Steam the potatoes: After boiling, drain the water and place the cooked potatoes back into the pot while it is still hot. Place a lid on the pot and let it steam for 10 minutes. This draws out the excess moisture and allows it to dry for a crispier bake.
Coat sheet pan: To ensure the potatoes are crispy, brush the sheet pan with olive oil or spray with a non-stick coating.
Space out potatoes: Don’t place the potatoes too closely together. Space them out evenly so they are roasted properly.
Smashing potatoes: Don’t be too overzealous with the smashing of the fingerling potatoes. Just press down slowly and ensure they are all even so they are of the same thickness. 1⁄2 inch thick is what you’re aiming for.
What To Serve With This Side Dish
What to serve with smashed fingerling potatoes? Try these delicious main dish recipes:
Smashed fingerling potatoes are like gourmet fries and so easy to pair up with so many wonderful main dishes. This ham braised in beer is rich in flavour and all the feels of the holidays. Great to have with potatoes.
Or if you’re in the mood for some pasta, try this creamy lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese or for the ultimate in comfort food, you can’t go past this meatloaf recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Air fry the smashed at 190°C or 375°F for about 15 minutes until they are nice and crispy.
This recipe takes just over an hour to make for the best crispy potatoes you’ll ever have! 20 minutes for parboiling and about 45 minutes in the oven. It’ll be the best hour you’ve ever spent!
The plants that produce the fingerling potatoes generally produce fewer potatoes than the regular variety. The smaller size and the need to pack them more delicately also make them more labour intensive.
The fingerling potato has many different names. They are also known as Austrian Crescent, Buttercream, French Fingerling, German Kipfler, Purple Peruvian, Ruby Crescent, and the Russian Banana.
Yes, you should always wash fingerling potatoes to remove any dirt or unwanted debris. You can just wash them with your hands, or if they are extra dirty, you can use a gentle brush.
With their natural buttery flavour enhanced by a sprinkle of sea salt and herbs, these delectable smashed fingerling potatoes make a satisfying side dish or a delightful appetiser that will leave you craving more.
That’s all!
More Potato Side Dishes:
Recipe
Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
- Wash the fingerling potatoes and give them a brush to remove all dirt. Place potatoes into a pot of water and bring to the boil for approximately 20 minutes.Drain and pour potatoes back into the pot and put the lid on. Let it steam for 10 minutes.
- Smash garlic cloves.
- Remove the leaves off 1 sprig of rosemary.
- Cut butter up into 12 small pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, add olive oil, rosemary leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Add fingerling potatoes and coat well.
- Brush 2 sheet pans with olive oil. Spread out fingerling potatoes evenly. With a heavy bottomed jar, press down gently onto the potatoes to smash them until they are about ½ inch thick.
- Add small pieces of butter on top of the potatoes.
- Add whole rosemary springs and smashed garlic cloves.
- Put into the oven at 220°C or 425°F for 45 minutes. Flip them halfway.
- Remove and serve while hot.
Notes
- Omit butter for a vegan version or use vegan butter to amplify the recipe.
- Thyme is a great substitute for rosemary. You can also add fresh herbs when serving such as chives and parsley.
- Garlic powder can be used in this recipe instead of fresh garlic, as they are prone to burning a little. Just toss some in with the olive oil when you’re coating the fingerling potatoes. You can add onion powder, too, if so desired.
- Add a dollop of sour cream on the smashed fingerling potatoes when serving, or perhaps serve on the side for dipping. Perfect accompaniment.
- Squeeze a dash of lemon over the potatoes just before serving if you love lemon on everything!
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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