I don’t know if Jenny would have actually like Smashed Potatoes. She might have thought them to be a little silly. After all, they are technically already boiled and cooked before you smash them. Or it might have just been easier for her to take her grief and feelings of helplessness out on the poor potatoes by mashing them. Then again, maybe this is why I consider cooking cathartic. Either way, sometimes smashing food is safer than hurting ourselves or others. Like Jenny, I grew up on a farm and still cook for a crowd in my mind, even though I only have a husband and 2 kids. Feel free to adjust to your crowd, whether that’s 1 or 20. Here we go:

Ingredients

• 2 lbs baby potatoes (red or gold are fine)
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil, unsalted melted butter, or bacon grease
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt & Pepper (Like Claire & Jamie, they stick together.)
• shredded cheese of your choice

Directions:

1. Boil them thar potatoes! Some people like to put the potatoes and salt in the pot, fill it with water and and bring the water to a boil. Some like to fill the pot with water, let it come to a boil, then add their potatoes. I’ve done it both ways. Know that adding the potatoes to hot water can make boiling water plop out of the pot and possibly burn you. But go for it if you like to live on the wild side.
2. Choose your potato number wisely. If you are like Laoghaire and live on your own, you might only want 8 potatoes. 20 potatoes are great for a small family or little leftovers. If you’re Jenny with the whole Murray gang, get a big pot and put the whole 2 lbs in. However, it will mean more 11×17 pans for cooking and possible delay in getting all potatoes cooked at once, unless you’ve got an industrial oven.
3. Let potatoes bubble gently for about 25 minutes. You can always fork one to see if it’s tender.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
5. Drain the potatoes and let them cool for 5 minutes.
6. Prep your 11×17 pans with either non-stick spray of choice, aluminum foil, or parchment paper.
7. Place potatoes on pan (I can usually get about 20 on there, depending on potato size.)
8. Smash potatoes slowly with a mason jar, mug, drinking glass, or ramekin. Thicker potatoes are fluffier while thinner potatoes are crispier. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to your taste
9. Combine tasty liquid of choice (olive oil, melted butter, or bacon grease) with rosemary, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder. Brush on the potatoes with a pastry brush.
10. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until your heart’s content of crispiness.

Extra tips:

• Feel free to use fresh herbs and garlic for even richer flavor.
• Sprinkle with your shredded cheese of choice for the last 5 minutes. Parmesan or cheddar are great. Perhaps Jenny would have use goat cheese since she had goats. Use bleu cheese to give it some French vibes.
• Sprinkle with bacon bits and or minced chives for more flavor.
• If you chose a smaller amount of potatoes to cook with and have leftover liquid gold (melted butter/oil/bacon grease with the herbs mixed in), feel free to spread it on your potatoes on the last 10 minutes of cooking for more flavor. Some might even flip the potatoes halfways through the cook time and spread the liquid gold again.
• I’m no chef. As you can tell, I consider recipes more like guidelines than rules. Maybe Mrs. Fitz will chase me down for that one.