Roasted Smashed Potatoes with White Balsamic Reduction

This post was created in partnership with Alessi Foods. All opinions are our own.

You may remember that we’re huge fans of Italy: both the place and the cuisine. We spent our honeymoon in Rome and the Amalfi Coast, then returned 7 years later to repeat the trip (see our photos here and here). The food is unbeatable, and much of our recipe inspiration comes from Italian flavors and approach.

Balsamic reductions are typical Italy. If you’ve ever tasted one, you’ll know eye-popping taste: sweet on the front end, tart on the backend, and complex with both fruity and dark notes. It’s syrupy drizzle that’s created by boiling down vinegar until it becomes sweet and thick. Balsamic reductions can be used on literally anything: salads, roasted meats, fresh fruit, desserts, and cheese plates. The Alessi Foods line, descended from a Sicilian family business started in the 1900’s, has a new line of reductions made with only a handful of ingredients and without artificial thickeners. Alessi sent this white balsamic reduction and challenged us to be creative with our use of it.

We came up with this: crispy and salty roasted smashed potatoes, paired with the fruity, nuanced sweet drizzle and the green bite of chives. It’s not only visually stunning but seriously tasty — we could not stop eating these! (We may have eaten the whole pan ourselves for lunch.) I imagine it on the table for a Sunday night dinner with friends, an Easter brunch or Easter dinner, or to accompany a summer meal on the grill. Or, you could try it with baby potatoes as an elegant appetizer.

These reductions are so versatile, snagging a bottle is absolutely worth it. You can purchase them at your local grocery stores, or order online here. Buon appetito!

Did you make this recipe?

If you make these roasted smashed potatoes with white balsamic reduction, we’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks.

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

Roasted Smashed Potatoes with White Balsamic Reduction

 

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by: a Couple Cooks

Serves: 4

What You Need

• 2 pounds small red potatoes
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Alessi White Balsamic Reduction
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. In a large saucepan, place the potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. When boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes (ours was done at 18 minutes). Make sure the potatoes are cooked through, but not overcooked.
3. Once the potatoes are done, drain them. Place two clean dishtowels on the counter, and place the potatoes on top for a few minutes to fully drain.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then drizzle it with olive oil and brush it to cover the entire sheet. Place the potatoes on the sheet, evenly spaced. With a potato masher, gently press down on a potato until it mashes, then turn the masher 90 degrees and mash again (this should make a lovely criss-cross pattern on the top). Every few potatoes, wash the masher so that it is clean and not stuck with bits of potato - the best criss-cross patterns are made with a clean masher. Some potatoes won’t be as picturesque as others, but if you continue to clean the masher most will look similar to the photo.
5. Place some additional olive oil in a bowl, then brush the tops of each smashed potato generously with olive oil. Then sprinkle each with a few pinches of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.
6. Remove the potatoes from the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with white balsamic reduction and sprinkle with chives.

3.5.3226

 

 

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