Broken Potatoes with Garlic Butter & Soy Sauce

 

I think the potato is one of my favorite vegetables. They are so versatile and go with just about everything. You can cook them in a multitude of ways and  I love them all!

I actually started off today to make a version of smashed potatoes, but my potatoes fell apart. One thing life has taught me is to not cry over spilled milk and also that when you are handed lemons, make lemonade. 

Never, ever throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

I thought to myself, broken potatoes have to be better than smashed potatoes. You have way more edges to crisp up and brown, so twice as much deliciousness!

And so I just kept going.  The end result was incredibly tasty.  Buttery, garlicky potatoes with a multitude of crispy edges.  A- mazing! 

 

Crazy delicious with lots of yummy garlic flavor and perfectly seasoned. Perfect to serve with a steak or chicken, or pork or lamb.  These were fabulous!.

And, they were a very simple side dish to make.  I have written the quantities up to feed only two people, but you can very easily double or even triple everything to feed even more.  Your family is literally going to fall in love with these delicious crispy potatoes! 

 

I love the flavor of garlic with potatoes. A few months back I bought myself one of these garlic thingies that I had seen online. I bought it via Amazon.  It really works well.  You just peel your garlic and put it into the bottom piece.

Pop the top piece on top and twist.  It actually shreds it more than it minces it, but what I like about it is that it is very easy to clean.  No more garlic stuck in those annoying little holes.  

I love it and no I have not been paid to say that!  Nor did I get the gadget for free. I paid for it. Its just that when I find something I like using, I have a need to share it with you because I think you might like it too! 

Now back to the potatoes.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BROKEN POTATOES 

GARLIC BUTTER & SOY SAUCE

There is really nothing out of the ordinary here. Simple ingredients put together and cooked simply with delicious results!  I prefer recipes that don't use long lists of complicated ingredients.

• 4 small to medium new potatoes (mine were about 2-inches in diameter)
• 3 TBS butter
• 2 1/2 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• chopped fresh parsley to sprinkle on top

 

The markets are full of lovely new potatoes at the  moment. Perfect for making salads and for frying like this.  My potatoes were about the size of a baby's fist. You only need four for two people. 

If you are making more calculate at least two potatoes per person.

I always use sea salt these days. I love the flavor of it. Its clean and fresh. You will need some for the cooking water and some for seasoning.

 

Our markets are also flooded with locally grown garlic at the moment as well.  If  I owned my own property I would plant garlic, alas I do not and my garden is very tiny, but I do like to take advantage of the local garlic as and when I can.  

I find it superior in flavor to the Chinese stuff we see  most of the time.  Its very easy to spot the difference between Chinese Garlic and North American grown garlic.  

Just flip it over and look at the bottom of the bulb.  The Chinese are required to remove and scrape away all of the root end, leaving a smooth concave hollow.   This is due to import requirements.  

I find the flavor of home grown garlic to be superior. I also don't really like eating food that has been bleached with chemicals.  

But having said that, sometimes it can't be helped. You just have to use what's available.  

 

HOW TO MAKE BROKEN POTATOES 

WITH GARLIC BUTTER & SOY SAUCE 

I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet for these or at the very least a non-stick skillet with a nice heavy bottom! 

Start by washing  your potatoes really well. I use a vegetable brush for this.  Even though they may look like they are clean and have been washed, wash them anyways. You would be surprised at just how dirty they still are.

 Place them into a saucepan. Cover with cold water, by about an inch,  and add about 1/2 tsp salt.

 

Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to medium low, cover slightly, and cook for 15 minutes or so, just until the sharp tip of a knife can be easily inserted. Fork tender.

Drain well and place in a sieve placed over the hot pot so that they dry out well. A drier potato will give you a crisper finish.

 

Place the still warm potatoes onto a cutting board and using something flat and heavy, lightlycrush them until they are about 2/3 of their original size, allowing them to break apart. 

You should have some big pieces and some small pieces, all with craggy bits.

Melt the butter over medium heat in the bottom of an 8 inch cast iron skillet until it starts to foam. Add the garlic.  Cook, stirring, just until it start to brown, do not allow to burn. (Burnt garlic can taste bitter.) Add the crushed potatoes to the pan.

 

Cook until golden brown on the undersides. (Medium heat.) Flip over. Cook until golden brown on the other side.  Don't mither them. Leave them be and let them brown without moving them overly about.  That's the secret to a nice browning.

Drizzle with the soy sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the parsley over top and serve immediately.

 

And that's all there is to it. You best prepare yourself to fall in love, because these are incredibly tasty and moreish.  Even better than basic fried potatoes in my opinion.

I loved all the craggy bits and the fact that you had some larger bits and some smaller bits and I also loved the way the skins crisped up in the butter, and got all garlicky. Delicious!!

 

If, like me, the potato is your favorite vegetable you might also enjoy these recipes which are along the same line! 

CRISPY FRIED POTATOES - Peeled and chunked potatoes are parboiled in some salted water and then fried to golden brown in a pan with some olive oil, garlic and sage. Scrumptious.

POTATOES O'BRIEN - This is a pretty basic version of fried potatoes, with onions and peppers, using only salt and pepper as seasoning.  You could also add garlic powder and or paprika.  I added some paprika. I like the color it adds to potatoes when you are frying them.  

BOMBAY POTATOES - An East Indian version of fried potatoes. Deliciously spiced.  The perfect side dish for a curry night!

 

Broken Potatoes with Garlic Butter and Soy Sauce

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 40 Min

This small batch recipe can easily be multiplied to serve more. Delicious garlicky, buttery potatoes, with lots of crispy edges and bits.

Ingredients

• 4 small to medium new potatoes (mine were about 2-inches in diameter)
• 3 TBS butter
• 2 1/2 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• chopped fresh parsley to sprinkle on top

Instructions

1. Wash your potatoes well and place into a saucepan. Cover with cold water and add about 1/2 tsp salt.
2. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to medium low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or so or until the sharp tip of a knife can be easily inserted. Fork tender.
3. Drain well and place in a sieve placed over the hot pot so that they dry out well.
4. Place them on a cutting board and using something flat and heavy, crush them to about 2/3 of their original size, allowing them to break apart. You should have some big pieces and some small pieces, all with craggy bits.
5. Melt the butter over medium heat in the bottom of an 8 inch cast iron skillet until it starts to foam. Add the garlic.
6. Cook, stirring, just until it start to brown, do not allow to burn. Add the crushed potatoes to the pan.
7. Cook until golden brown on the undersides. (Medium heat.) Flip over. Cook until golden brown on the other side.
8. Drizzle with the soy sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the parsley over top and serve immediately.

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