Smashed Lemony Potatoes with Greek yogurt and Feta Dressing

Crispy potatoes are dangerously habit forming and oh so good! Smashing them before roasting guarantees extra crispy edges. Topping them with a flavor packed feta dip, makes them all the better.  You have options with this recipe. Simply serve the smashed potatoes in their natural state. Use the creamy chunky topping on other roasted or raw veggies or thin it out a bit and use it as a salad dressing and it’s also wonderful as a baked potato topping. Warm it and dip toasted crusty bread through it. You really can’t go wrong! This dish is an excellent starter or small plate, vegetarian main or hearty side and sure to be a crowd pleaser! 

I have a preference for goat feta. Choose your favorite. Remember to zest the lemons before cutting into them. And, because you are using the zest, please choose organic lemons of available. If you choose to omit the lemon, this is still really good.

Smashed Lemony Potatoes topped with Yogurt and Feta (and lots of good stuff on top)

RECIPE

Serves 5 sides, 3 mains (Unless everyone is starving, then, all bets are off with this dish)

Ingredients-

For the potatoes

Approx 2 lbs German butterball, small Yukon gold (or similar, about the size of golf balls) approximately 15 pieces.

Flaky Sea Salt

Fresh ground pepper

A few sprigs of thyme

1/2 lemon, cut into segments

1/4 cup olive oil

For the Yogurt Feta Dip

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (preferably full fat)

Approx 3 oz of feta, crumbled (I love goat/sheep feta)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 Tbs chopped dill

1 Tbs chopped mint (optional)

Juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

1 Tbs red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar is a fine substitute)

1 tsp capers, pref salt cured, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Flaky sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

Chopped kalamata olives or tapenade to garnish

Walnuts (optional)

1- Add potatoes to a saucepan (4qt size ideal here), cover by 1-2” with cold water and generously salt. Bring to a boil and cook just until fork tender. While potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 425F. Drain potatoes into a colander and set  over empty warm pot to fully dry.

2- Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay out potatoes. With the bottom of a glass or glass jar, gently but firmly smash down each potato, being careful not to fully mash them. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and lemon wedges/slices to tray and bake, turning with a spatula at 20 minutes and baking for another 20-30 until edges are a beautiful golden brown. If potatoes break, no worries, they’ll still taste delicious but you may need to lesson baking time for smaller pieces.

While potatoes are baking...

1- Whisk together all, but the feta and a pinch of the parsley and zest, of the ingredients for the yogurt dip then stir in feta. Adjust seasoning. Set aside.

2- Plate potatoes from the oven and top with yogurt feta dressing while still warm. Sprinkle on olives, or tapenade, parsley and zest and serve.

Enjoy!

Notes:

If you plan to enjoy this as a main dish, walnuts make a great and nutritious addition.

Feel free to spice this up to taste with Aleppo pepper, sumac, red pepper flakes...

A drizzle of good olive oil on top never hurt anything and is lovely here.

The dressing is it’s most creamy goodness with full fat Greek yogurt. Reduced fat and nonfat Greek yogurt, along with skÿr, would be fine substitutes.

If the lemons are nicely browned, and not burnt, add them to your serving plate as garnish. The option of a little extra roasted lemon juice is a good thing.  

Make sure to allow potatoes to dry thoroughly.  

You don’t want them steaming while they roast as you won’t achieve crispy golden brown edges.  

I find that placing the colander over the empty, dry hot pot, ensures this. 

Smashing potatoes  

If potatoes are sticking at all, brush the bottom of the glass with olive oil. Smash the potatoes to about 1/3-1/2” thick. Thinner, and they will likely  break a part. If a few do, this isn’t a problem as you’ll simply have more extra crispy bits. Remember to shorten the cooking time for the smaller pieces to avoid burning. Crispy and browned potatoes are delicious, burnt not so much. 

Arrange on the parchment, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, with your seasoning. You may squeeze a touch of lemon around, but don’t saturate the potatoes. A gently sprinkling will do. This is optional. 

Season well. You don’t want to skimp on the salt and pepper.