Crispy Potatoes with Smoky Tomato Sauce

PREP TIME: 15mins

COOKING TIME: 60mins

Crispy smashed baby potatoes dipped in a slow roasted smoky tomato sauce, hell yes!

With warm spring days finally arriving in Cape Town this is the perfect poolside snack that I crave along with a chilled glass of bubbles.

I love how the full of flavour dish needs very little ‘hands -on’ time and with not much effort you can have a fabulous snack plate ready for everyone to help themselves to.

The better the tomatoes, the better the sauce and I am very grateful for my frequent cherry tomato supply from my weekly farm box thanks to Those who Harvest.

My top two TIPS for a crispy potato are:

  1. Always preheat (without oil) the baking trays in a hot oven (200c) for at least 20 minutes.
  2. Make sure the oil is hot when the potatoes go in, ideally you want to hear a sizzle.
  3. Don’t overcrowd the trays, the potatoes should not touch each other.

The sauce can be frozen and will be delicious served with nachos, pita breads, roasted veggies or sweet potato wedges.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve as a snack or side with anything straight from the bbq!

What you'll need:

2 baking trays for the potatoes and an ovenproof dish with a lid.

A food processor or hand blender.

Ingredients:

  • 1kg baby potatoes
  • olive oil
  • sea salt
  • garnish: microgreens

Relish

  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • small red onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika
  • 500g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 chilli, seeds removed, halved
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200c and add the two baking trays to the oven.
  2. Add all the relish ingredients to an ovenproof dish, mix well and roast covered, for 40 minutes. Let it cool slightly before blitzing until smooth with a hand blender or food processor. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and vinegar. Keep warm.
  3. Fill a large saucepan with cold water, add the potatoes and bring to a gentle simmer, cook the potatoes until soft but still holding their shape. Drain in a colander and let the potatoes steam for 5 minutes. On a large chopping board, flatten each potato with a spatula or a potato masher. The flatter the potatoes, the crispier so don’t worry if some potatoes fall apart.
  4. While you are flattening your potatoes, adjust the oven heat to 220c, carefully remove the baking trays, add lots of olive oil and place back in the oven for the oil to heat, about 5 minutes.
  5. Carefully remove one tray from the oven. Gently place a potato at a time in the hot oil in a single layer, when the tray is full, add the tray to the oven and repeat with the other tray.  Roast for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are starting to take on some colour. Remove the trays,  flip each potato over and roast until golden and crispy, about another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  6. To serve, either add half the sauce to a pretty platter, scatter the potatoes over the sauce, season with sea salt flakes and the microgreens. Alternatively, add the potatoes to a platter, season with flaked sea salt and serve with the tomato sauce on the side. Enjoy!

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