Crispy squashed potatoes
Serves: 4-6 as a side
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Crispy squashed potatoes
With a crispy bottom and a soft top, this unusual take on roast potatoes is simple to achieve and will soon become a firm favourite. Use a good roasting potato for this recipe, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, for the best results
Serves: 4-6 as a side
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
435Kcal
Fat
29gr
Saturates
14gr
Carbs
38gr
Sugars
2gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
4gr
Salt
0.5gr
Olia Hercules
Olia was born in Soviet Ukraine, and now lives in Britain and has a son, Sasha. As a Leiths-trained chef, recipe writer and food stylist, she honed her cooking skills in the kitchens of Ottolenghi and cherishes the Uzbeki, Moldovan and Russian recipes inherited from her grandmothers and aunts.
See more of Olia Hercules’s recipes
Olia Hercules
Olia was born in Soviet Ukraine, and now lives in Britain and has a son, Sasha. As a Leiths-trained chef, recipe writer and food stylist, she honed her cooking skills in the kitchens of Ottolenghi and cherishes the Uzbeki, Moldovan and Russian recipes inherited from her grandmothers and aunts.
See more of Olia Hercules’s recipes
Ingredients
- 8-10 medium potatoes
- 3 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil
- 100g butter, cubed
Step by step
Get ahead
Boil the potatoes a few hours ahead.
- Fill a large pan with cold water, season well, add the whole, unpeeled potatoes and bring to the boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until easily pierced by a knife. They should feel quite soft, as you will need to be able to squash them with your hand. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 220°C, gas 7. Drain well and leave to cool in a colander.
-
When cool, use the palm of your hand to gently squash each potato, softly but firmly. Try to make it flat, but still together, like a squashed potato patty. It will be flat on the bottom and slightly domed on top.TipThe more you squash, the more crispy bits you'll have.
- Pour the oil into a large roasting tin and put it into the hot oven. Leave to heat for about 5 minutes, or until sizzling.
- With a large spatula, lift the potatoes and slide them carefully (oil may spit) into the tray, flat-side down. Do not overcrowd the roasting tray. Season and pop them in the oven. Cook undisturbed for about 20 minutes, then check to see if a thick crust is forming. Drop in the butter and cook for another 10 minutes. You are looking for crusty bottoms and soft tops. Serve with baked fish or roast meat, leaving the buttery juices in the tin, and scatter with flaked sea salt.
