Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Imagine crunchy, salty, roasted cheesy smashed potatoes, topped with crispy melted Parmesan, dipped into a creamy, garlicky aioli - the ultimate tapas dish.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 750 g baby potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 25 g Parmesan grated
For the aioli:
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 2 large egg yolks
- 250 ml groundnut oil
- 1/2 lemon or to taste
To serve:
- Freshly snipped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C Fan.
- Tip the potatoes onto a large baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well and roast for 40 minutes, turning halfway through, or until golden, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Meanwhile, place the garlic bulb in tin foil, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Wrap up the foil and place in the oven for about 30-40 minutes - or until the cloves are tender.
- Using a small glass press the potatoes to flatten them (don’t worry if they break up a little, those bits will crisp up!)
- Sprinkle over the Parmesan and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes - or until the Parmesan has melted, crisped up and turned golden.
- Meanwhile, make the aioli: place the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Begin to whisk whilst very slowly drizzling in the oil (whilst whisking all the time) - it should start emulsifying straight away. Once you have added half the oil, add the lemon juice, then continue to slowly whisk in the remaining oil.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin and whisk through the mixture. Taste and add more lemon and salt, if needed.
- Once the potatoes are done, tip into a bowl, sprinkle over some chopped chives and serve with the aioli.
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make cheesy smashed potatoes.
To store: Any leftover potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Reheat in the airfryer at 170c for around 7 minutes until crisp and hot. Or in the oven at 180c for a similar time, until golden and crisp.
Make ahead: The aioli keeps for 5 days in the fridge in a sealed, airtight container, so this can be made ahead. The potatoes can be part-roasted and smashed. Then, leave to cool, cover and chill. Then, when ready to cook, drizzle with oil and roast for 10 minutes (up to 20 minutes) to make sure they are crisp and hot all the way through. You can do this up to a day in advance.
Potatoes: if you only have large potatoes, simply cut into smaller pieces, season, drizzle with oil and proceed. Take advantage of the corners to get nice crispy bits.
How to rescue split mayonnaise: mayonnaise can be a bit temperamental and can split if the oil is added too quickly before it has had a chance to emulsify. If this happens, don’t panic! There are several things you can do:
- Extra egg yolk - in a separate bowl, whisk an egg yolk with a tsp of cold water and Dijon mustard, then slowly add the mixture to the mayonnaise while whisking constantly.
- Boiling water - if your mayonnaise is just starting to split, drizzle in a tbsp of boiling water while whisking vigorously.
- Acid - place a little of the split mayonnaise into a clean bowl and add a couple of drops of lemon juice or vinegar, whisking all the time. Gradually add the remaining mayonnaise, alternating with drops of lemon juice or vinegar, whilst continuing to whisk.