How To Make Crash Hot Potatoes

I’ve been praising the versatility of eggs for as long as I can remember, but honestly potatoes should really be getting lauded. Just when I thought I’d prepared the budget-friendly tuber in every possible way — baked, fried, boiled, mashed, even melted — I stumbled upon a shiny new method that quickly rose to the top of my ranking.

Crash hot potatoes are like a cross between a fluffy baked potato and a greasy, golden french fry. You get all the creamy, buttery goodness of a baked tater, packaged in a super-crispy, crackly shell that’s glistening with oil and sparkling with salt. It’s the sexiest side dish I know how to make.

Crash hot potatoes are Australia’s answer to smashed potatoes, which are essentially small potatoes that are crushed to maximize their surface area and baked until crisp. I first encountered crash hot potatoes on the Pioneer Woman’s site, who credits Australian food writer and cookbook author Jill Dupleix with their inception.

After studying Jill and Ree’s recipes, along with a handful of others, I determined that for a potato to be given the (highly esteemed) title of a crash hot potato, it must be boiled until tender, smashed on a baking sheet, tossed with oil (or, in some cases, butter) and roasted at high heat. The type of potato, the seasonings, the exact oven temperature — that was all up to me.

Once I had devoured my first batch, I wanted to tell everyone I knew to go straight home and do the same. What I didn’t want was for them to have to go scavenger hunting at their local grocery stores until they found the right kind of potato. So I came up with a method that works with almost any variety, with the only difference being how long they take to boil.

Start with 1 1/2 pounds of any of the following potatoes, then follow the recipe below, using these boiling times.

• Micro potatoes (about 36): Boil 7 to 10 minutes
• Baby red potatoes (12 to 16): Boil 12 to 17 minutes
• Baby Yukon gold potatoes (10 to 14): Boil 20 to 25 minutes
• Red potatoes (about 6): Boil 25 to 30 minutes
• Yukon gold potatoes (about 4): Boil 30 to 35 minutes

Although the time estimates are helpful, the best way to determine whether a potato is tender is to pierce the largest potato in the pot with the tip of a sharp knife. If it slides in easily with no resistance, the potatoes are done. Don’t pull them out too early, or you’ll have a tough time smashing them. (The time they later spend in the oven is more about crisping and less about cooking).

When cooked and drained, the rest of the process is simple: Spread onto an oiled sheet tray, toss to coat in the oil, then smash them with a measuring cup, drinking glass, or potato masher. Season generously with salt and pepper, then transfer them to a 500°F oven, which is the secret to the crispiest, crackliest potatoes. (This is also the point where you can add minced garlic, grated cheese, or any other seasonings. But really, you don’t need to.)

You’ll start them on the lowest oven rack so the undersides of the potatoes form a deeply golden crust, then finish them up top where the exposed smashed surface gets a turn near the heat. Serve warm, and prepare to make more tomorrow.