Smashed Potatoes

Click to Enlarge	Smashed Potatoes USA
	Serves Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	4 side ** 3/4 hr Yes	Mashed potatoes are fine if you have gravy but uninteresting if you don't. The robust smashed potato is much more able to stand up on its own and can be enhanced further with herbs. Here they're shown with scallion tops..

2
1
1
4
2
1/2
1/2
tt

#

t
T
T
t
t

Potatoes (1)
Bay Leaf
Salt
Butter
Sour Cream (2)
Salt (or tt)
Pepper (or tt)
Green Herb

Put the POTATOES (skin-on) in a pot with Water to cover, Bay Leaf and 1 t Salt. Boil gently until just cooked all the way through. They are done when a sharp skewer will go through the center of largest one without encountering a stiff spot.
Melt Butter and mix thoroughly with Sour Cream (see Note-2), Salt and Pepper.
Fish Potatoes out of the water reserving 1/2 cup of the water, let them dry out so the skins are not slippery and smash them up (still skin-on) with a wooden spatula or similar tool. Stir in the Butter mix and adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed (more important if they will be held for awhile).
Finally, stir in Green Herb of choice (scallion tops, chives, basil, sage, etc.).
Serve hot. If you must hold them use a warm oven. If you must reheat them use a moderate oven.

NOTES:

Potatoes: Red are best and add some skin color. White Rose will do, but Yukon Gold may not be firm enough and russet are too dry and crumbly and would have to be peeled. Potatoes about2 inches in diameter are good - too small there's too much skins and too big there's too little. For details see my Potato Page
Sour Cream is optional. Some cooks use 1/2 c cream cheese in its place.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch