Sauteed Smashed Baby Potatoes with Lemon and Garlic

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Today was gorgeous outdoors and cloud-free with low-humidity at 70 degrees . . . just perfect for grilling on the deck.  So I needed to decide what vegetable side dish to pair with our grilled entree.  Ideas never fail to present themselves do they?  So while watching some of my recorded food shows this morning before spending the day outside, my question was answered.  During one of Giada de Laurentiis' shows, I immediately knew that the baby potatoes sitting on my kitchen counter were the veggie of choice using one of her yummy recipes:  Sauteed "smashed" baby potatoes in lemon and garlic and dressed with a light lemon-y, herb dressing.  This sounded easy, light, and delicious.  Decision made!

I made the dressing ahead of time to see how it would taste.  Oh my gosh, gag*#!, it was so over-powered by lemon juice and lemon zest, that it was almost like drinking straight lemon juice.  Down the drain it went!  Start over . . . beginning with the olive oil and slowly adding lemon juice to a palatable balance.  Still too lemon-y!  Balsamico vinegar to the rescue!  Two tablespoons of this dark brown miracle liquid brought a smile to my face.  In went the herbs . . . stir, taste . . . needed salt and pepper, so in they went.  OK, not bad at all now; in fact, quite good!

I returned to the Food Network web-page for this recipe and read through the reviews from others who have prepared this recipe.  Lo and behold, I wasn't alone, in fact there were several posts that stated the same reaction to this dressing!  Far too lemon-y!  My recommendation?  Seriously consider making the changes that I made, or even better, make your OWN changes and then drizzle this stuff very, very lightly on the potatoes.  A light touch is what these delicate little potatoes need, not a flood.  I think you'll agree.  Truthfully, Italians traditionally simply do not like a lot of dressings and/or sauces covering quality ingredients anyway, so go light on this dressing.

click on 'read more' beneath my signature below for this recipe.




Sauteed Smashed Potatoes with Lemon and Garlic
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

2 pounds baby or fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
6 cloves garlic, peeled, and minced (not 3 or halved as in original recipe)

Original Dressing Recipe
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roz's Dressing Recipe
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine
NO LEMON ZEST
freshly ground salt and black pepper

In an 8-quart stockpot, fill with enough water to cover potatoes by at least two inches.
Bring water to a boil over medium heat.
Place the potatoes in the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes.
Using the palm of your hand, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute.
Remove the garlic and discard.
In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Using a spatula, turn the potatoes over and cook, drizzling with oil, if needed, until golden brown on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.

For the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, parsley, and thyme.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
VERY LIGHTLY spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss only once very gently to coat, if you prefer (or you might even choose to pass the dressing around to your guests).
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.
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