POTATO

EPISODE 7: Follow America's favorite vegetable from field to factory — to see how potatoes grow and how they're turned into chips.

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RECIPE VIDEO

Oven-Roasted Smashed Potatoes

Equipment: large sheet pan, meat mallet/tenderizer

• 1 lb small potatoes (such as fingerling, new, or red)

• 2 TBSP olive oil

• salt / pepper

Serves 4 people as a side dish.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash your potatoes and dry them well before laying them out on a sheet pan.

3. Drizzle with the olive oil, and using your hands, massage the oil to coat the outsides of all the potatoes.

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Roast in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, until they are soft enough to smash.

6. Remove the pan from the oven, and either transfer the potatoes to a cool pan or carefully hold the cooking pan with one gloved hand while smashing the potatoes with the flat side of a meat mallet. The idea is to smush out the insides a bit to get "frayed edges" that will crisp when returned to the oven. This may take 2 or 3 careful whacks. Try not to smash the potatoes so hard that they break apart.

7. Return potatoes to the oven to cook another 20-25 minutes longer, or until fork-tender and golden on the outside.