Jill Dupleix's Crash-Hot Potatoes

So here's the thing about being married to a Norwegian. He flippin' loves potatoes. No seriously, I have never seen anyone love potatoes that much. For him, it's not a real meal without them, so I guess we eat a lot of non-meals around here. I, on the other hand, tend to kind of forget about the potato unless I find those amazing little purple ones at the store, and then I think to myself, why in the world are those potatoes purple? And keep moving. The potato, in other words, is not my go-to food.

But I've had this recipe in the back of my mind for a while. After I first saw it on the Pioneer Woman who has kind of commandeered them. But they're Jill Dupleix's idea, and her recipe. If you're in the US, you might not be all that familiar with Dupleix. She's an Australian food writer, with a monthly column in the food magazine Americans only wish we could get, called Delicious. In fact, whenever I travel internationally, or go to a book store with a large magazine selection, I always look for Delicious as a special treat. Love that magazine. And Dupleix writes a monthly column for them.

So Dupleix has written her fair share of cookbooks, but this recipe can be found easily on her website. They are amazing little potatoes. A cross between the tenderness of a baked potato and the crispiness of a french fry, but with very little fat. Actually, it's quite genius. Genius enough to even impress a Norwegian.

Adapted from Jill Dupleix's Crash Hot Potatoes

16 small, round potatoes
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
A sprinkle of caraway seeds if you'd like (I did)
A few rosemary sprigs, broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 450F (yea, screaming hot). Put the unpeeled potatoes into a pot of salted, boiling water and simmer them for about 15 minutes. They should be tender enough to take a fork, but not falling apart. Make sure they're not overly soft.

Drain the potatoes and spread them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Use a potato masher, and press down on each potato until it's flat. It should be about twice its original size.

Brush the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and the caraway seeds, then lay the rosemary over the tops. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until they're very crisp and golden brown. Serve right away.