Name: Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Miso Butter
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives; 1 garlic clove, minced; ½ teaspoon pepper; 3 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled; ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Why This Recipe Works

A compound butter is a fantastic, easy way to paint a new coat of flavor onto something familiar. We start by making an umami-rich butter with miso and fresh chives. We parcook the potatoes on a baking sheet, then let them rest so they don’t fall apart when flattened. Once smashed, the potatoes are drizzled with olive oil and roasted until crisp. As soon as they come out of the oven, we toss the hot potatoes with the miso butter and serve.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with potatoes that are 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. For the best results, use similarly sized potatoes.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons miso, 2 tablespoons minced chives, 1 minced garlic clove, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl.

Divide 3 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil over potatoes (2 tablespoons per sheet) and roll to coat. Roast until skins look slightly dry and paring knife inserted into potatoes meets little resistance, about 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through roasting. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Using bottom of 1-cup dry measuring cup, flatten each potato until ½ to ¾ inch thick. (It’s OK if potatoes break apart.) Drizzle potatoes with remaining ¼ cup oil (2 tablespoons per sheet) and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Roast until browned on bottom, about 10 minutes. Switch and rotate sheets, then roast until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes longer.

Add potatoes to bowl with miso butter and toss to coat. Serve immediately.