How to use up leftover salt potatoes

Do you have leftover salt potatoes hanging around the fridge after your Memorial Day picnic? (If you don't know what salt potatoes are, then you must not live in Rochester. They are essentially new potatoes that are boiled in salty water. Here, you can purchase the potatoes packaged along with the salt so you don't even have to measure.)

My first attempts (left) resulted in flat potatoes without a
rough top. I found that scoring them with a biscuit cutter
(see potatoes to the right) gave me a nice rough top.

Here’s a way to use them without feeling like you’re eating the same thing twice. Just put your spuds on a sheet pan and press down on them with a potato masher a couple of times until they are somewhat flattened and the skins are split -- the rougher the top, the better.You may need to score the skins with a knife or biscuit cutter to get them to split properly.

Then brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Pop them in a 450-degree oven for 20 minutes or so, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, rustic looking, side dish.

I recently paid a visit to F. Olivers on Park Avenue, so I had some of their Tuscan Garden olive oil on hand. It took my taters over the top by adding a lovely rosemary flavor. I also used some fancy pants red sea salt (it was a gift), but Kosher salt would work just as well.

They were crunchy on the bottoms and sides and soft on the insides. I topped mine with sour cream. My husband ate his plain. My son dipped his in ketchup. All of us enjoyed our potatoes, and none of us felt like we were eating leftovers.

Crash Hot Salt Potatoes
Adapted from this recipe on the Pioneer Woman website

Leftover salt potatoes (any amount)
Olive oil (F. Olivers Tuscan Garden olive oil is especially good, but any will do)
Coarse sea salt or Kosher salt, to taste (don’t skimp)
Black pepper
Spices or fresh herbs, if desired
Sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Drizzle a sturdy cookie sheet with olive oil. Place the potatoes on the sheet, leaving plenty of room between them. (I got about 17 on one large cookie sheet.)

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until the skin splits and it mashes down about halfway. Rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. If you don’t have a potato masher or yours is a waffle weave pattern, score the skin once or twice with a knife or biscuit cutter, than flatten with your potato masher or the back of a glass.

Brush the tops of each potato generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with plenty of coarse salt and pepper. If you want to sprinkle on some spices or herbs, this would be the time to do it.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until nice and brown.

If desired, serve with sour cream.

Note: This post is adapted from my blog on the Flavors of Rochester website.