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Milk Street's Chris Kimball, Rachael's favorite bow-tied cook, shares a Thanksgiving-ish dish for your holiday table: smashed roasted potatoes served with spicy cilantro + yogurt sauce.
"These potatoes are browned and crisp on the outside, and dense and creamy on the inside. To get that perfect contrast in texture, we first boil the whole fingerlings or small Yukon Golds until tender, then flatten them until they split open, brush them with oil and roast them in a hot oven. It’s a multistep process, but it requires only about 25 minutes of active time—and is well worth the effort. The spicy cilantro and yogurt accompaniment is a version of the Somali hot sauce called basbaas, and is made simply by pureeing the ingredients in a blender." —Chris
Pro Tip from Chris: Don’t let the potatoes cool completely before smashing. They are easier to flatten and they hold their shape better when warm.
Adapted from Milk Street Vegetables by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2021 by Christopher Kimball. Used with permission by Voracious. All rights reserved.
For more recipes from Chris Kimball's newest cookbook for the holidays or anytime, check out his Muhammara and Potato, Green Bean and Mushroom Gratin.
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the middle position.
In a large pot over high, bring 2 quarts water to boil. Add the potatoes and ½ cup salt, then cook, uncovering and stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the largest potato meets no resistance, 18 to 22 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the cilantro, yogurt, chilies, garlic, lime juice and vinegar until smooth and bright green, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt; set aside.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Cool for about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the oil, ground ginger and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Remove the rack from the baking sheet. Wipe away any moisture on the baking sheet. Using the bottom of a dry measuring cup or ramekin, press down on each potato so it is slightly flattened and splits open but remains intact. Brush the tops of the potatoes with the oil mixture, dividing it evenly.
Roast the potatoes without turning them until browned and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle half of the cilantro-yogurt sauce over the potatoes. Pour the remaining sauce into a small bowl and serve on the side with toasted coconut (if using).