The thin skins of these waxy, slightly sweet, dense potatoes (you can substitute red or white varieties), pop with a gentle smash from the masher after they are braised to tenderness in stock. Browning in butter on both sides before drizzling with fresh rosemary and smoky Gouda cheese for a quick, bubbly broil add an inviting crunch factor and gooey cheese to every bite. Reminiscent of particularly indulgent potato skins, they are lovely with pork chops or roasted chicken.
Ingredients
- 18 to 20 baby yellow potatoes, 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) thick, scrubbed and pierced once with a knife
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup (60 g) grated smoked Gouda cheese or sharp cheddar
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Sour cream
How to Make It
- Cut any of the potatoes that are noticeably larger than the others down to a roughly equivalent size. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in a large ovenproof sauté pan. Pour in the chicken stock, adding just enough to cover halfway. Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the liquid and add salt. Bring to a boil over high, reduce to simmer over low, and cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Turn the potatoes over, cover, and cook on low for another 10 minutes, or until very tender. Remove cover and discard rosemary sprigs. Increase heat to high and cook off any remaining stock, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat broiler to high. When the liquid in the potato pan is down to a glaze, add 2 tablespoons butter. Swish to melt and reach the bottoms of all the potatoes. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining butter, swishing to coat, and leave untouched for 4 minutes, until potatoes are caramelized and golden on the bottom. Turn each potato over and smash individually, pressing down gently with a manual masher until they flatten to about ½ inch (13 mm) thick and pop. Add water to deglaze pan. Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with rosemary, cheese, and pepper. Broil for 3–5 minutes until bubbly and golden. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on each serving, if desired.