Jacques Pepin Potatoes, via Rachel Ray (really!)

I’ve been watching a lot of television lately. Much more than normal, and branching out to programming I don’t typically watch. So, while napping on the couch this weekend, I awoke to Rachel Ray and was intrigued by her squished potatoes. Over the past few days I’ve eaten so many mashed potatoes because they are a soft, filling food, and I had half a bag of Klamath pearl potatoes left. These were perfect for pommes fondantes in the style of Jacques Pepin, or, as Rachel calls them, squished (rather than smashed) taters.

Squished potatoes with ketchup, roasted broccoli, and a patty I’ll write about tomorrow.

These little potatoes turned out perfectly. I was a little worried at one point that they would not brown, or that the liquid would not evaporate, but they were delicious. The first potato I squished, though, I pressed a little too enthusiastically, and it collapsed under the pressure of my drinking glass-turned-squisher. Other than that, it was a foolproof recipe.

To make these you’ll need:

• small potatoes, scrubbed thoroughly and bad spots removed
• vegetable broth
• oil
• salt and pepper
• fresh herbs, like rosemary, chives, or parsley, if you have any

Place the potatoes in a single layer in a pot or skillet with a lid. If your potatoes don’t all fit in a single layer, save some for later. (Or get a bigger pot!) Fill the pot with enough broth so that it comes halfway up the potatoes and add a tablespoon or so of oil, depending on how many taters you have.

Cover the pot with the lid and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn down to a simmer and let the potatoes steam for 10-15 minutes. Then remove the lid and boil until the broth evaporates. I turned my potatoes because I wasn’t sure they would cook evenly. Rachel Ray didn’t tell me to do that, but I was paranoid about getting these taters cooked through.

When the broth is evaporated, “squish” each potato. You don’t want to smash them. I used a tall drinking glass but you can also use a mug, a ladle, or even a spoon. Just put a crack in each potato. Continue to cook them, turning once, to brown each side. With the oil they steamed in, and a non-stick pot, this really works like a charm. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with herbs.

Yeah, so, I didn’t use any herbs, as the entire reason I tried this recipe at all was to use some potatoes I had on hand. Instead, I ate these taters with some LocalFolks Foods ketchup. To me, it’s like what you’d get if you made apple sauce with tomatoes instead of apples. This stuff is so good and so different from Heinz. Funnily enough, it’s sweeter and it tastes more like tomatoes. They use evaporated cane juice rather than h1gh fruct0se c0rn syrup* along with tomato puree, vinegar, and spices.

I’ve written about LocalFolks Foods before when I tried their mushroom patties (also delicious!) and yet again I can’t wait to try more of their stuff. Just like I’m encouraged to try more recipes in a cookbook when the first few I try are great, I’m encouraged to keep buying LocalFoods in my Farm Fresh bin.

* I get spammy comments when I spell this out!