Smashed, Rosemary Potatoes

Nothing compliments dinner like a good, hearty potato. I love potatoes anyway they come: baked, fried, mashed and smashed! I'm not sure where this recipe originated. My mother made a similar recipe growing up and I have now devised my own version. I recently watched an episode of, America's Test Kitchen and they made a similar version of smashed potatoes and it inspired me to try these potatoes again. Start by boiling the potatoes until they are tender (but not falling apart) and then drain and cool. It is very important that they potatoes cool completely as it will make the smashing process much easier. Once the potatoes are cool, smash them with a potato masher, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt, black pepper and herbs. Bake them until they are golden brown and you have yourself an excellent side dish with any meal. Let's get started:

Smashed, Rosemary Potatoes

6 small, yellow potatoes (red would also work great)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I sprig plus 1 tablespoon Rosemary
I tablespoon Fresh Chives
Coarse Kosher or Sea Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper

First, scrub potatoes under water until clean. In a saucepan, place clean potatoes and fill with water, just covering the potatoes. Add one sprig of rosemary and a dash of salt to the pan. Bring to a boil and boil the potatoes over medium high heat about 30-35 minutes or until tender. Test one potato by inserting a paring knife. If the knife inserts and comes out easily the potatoes are ready. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a tea towel to dry and cool completely. Once the potatoes are cool, preheat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare your potatoes by brushing with olive oil and placing on a greased (with olive oil) cookie sheet. Brush your potato masher with olive oil (to prevent sticking) and smash each potato. Drizzle each potato with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle each potato with freshly chopped chives. I served these alongside some baked chicken and a fresh garden salad. They compliment almost any meal and would be a great side dish for your summer barbeques.