Crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, these smashed potatoes are best served immediately with a good drizzle of garlicy olive oil, za'atar and herbs! Serve as a side dish to a protein or as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce (I like tzatziki with these)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and adjust a rack in the center.
Boil the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water (about 2 quarts) to a boil. Season generously with kosher salt (about 1 tbsp), add the baking soda and potatoes. Stir. Let the water return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender and you can easily insert a knife in the potatoes (about 10 to 15 minutes after the water had returned to a boil)
Drain. Using a colander, drain the potatoes and let them sit in the colander for 5 to 10 minutes to dry.
Smash and steam dry the potatoes. Arrange the potatoes on a large, lightly oiled sheet pan. Using the back of a fork or a potato masher, lightly smash the potatoes making sure to keep them in one piece. The thinner you smash them, the crispier they will be. Let the potatoes sit to dry for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Season the potatoes with a pinch of kosher salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, making sure all the potatoes get some of the oil.
Roast. Roast on the middle rack of your heated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy (the rough edges will be charred).
Make the olive oil garlic sauce. While the potatoes are roasting, in a small mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil with the parsley, za’atar, and garlic.
Season and serve. When the potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle the olive oil and za’atar mixture all over. And finish with the chopped green onions. Enjoy as soon as possible!
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Notes
This recipe makes about 30 baby potatoes. The serving size here is 1 baby potato. For a side dish, budget about 5 baby potatoes per person.
For best crispiest results, allow the potatoes to dry well before raosting (don't skip the steps of draining in a colander and steam-drying on the sheet pan). Make sure the potatoes are all arranged on the sheet pan in one single layer (each potato needs to be touching the hot pan). And don't skimp on the olive oil.
For best flavor, season the potatoes with the olive oil and garlic sauce immediately when they get out of the oven.
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