Brunch club: How to make crispy smashed potatoes with spicy lemon mayo

These smashed potatoes are a big fan favourite and the perfect addition to a savoury brunch fry-up, says Max La Manna

(Ebury Press)

This is a BIG fan favourite. Brushing the potatoes with tomato purée before roasting them gives them an amazing rich colour and a surprise extra layer of flavour.

I love to serve these as part of a savoury brunch fry-up, with scrambled tofu, baked mushrooms and roasted tomatoes.

But they also make a fantastic starter or side dish.

Crispy smashed potatoes with spicy lemon mayo

Serves: 2-4

Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30-35 mins

Store in fridge: 1-2 days

Store in freezer: Up to 3 months (just potatoes)

Ingredients:

20 new potatoes, not peeled

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp tomato purée

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Generous pinch of salt

¼ tsp black pepper

4 tbsp mayo

1 tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp chilli powder

To serve:

Pickled red onion

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chives

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 10–15 minutes, until they are just soft enough that you can poke a fork into them, then drain.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the olive oil, tomato purée, lemon zest, salt and pepper until smooth.

4. Gently press the potatoes with the base of an empty jam jar until the skin breaks, then place them on a large baking sheet. Brush each potato with the oil and tomato mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and the edges are crispy, rotating the baking sheet after about 10 minutes.

5. To a small bowl or jar, add the mayo, smoked paprika, chilli powder and lemon juice and stir or shake for a few seconds until smooth and combined.

6. Put the crispy potatoes on a serving platter and top with a few dollops of the spicy lemon mayo, some pickled red onion and fresh herbs.

Tips: Smaller potatoes are best. For a main meal you may like to add some grated cheese after baking or serve with some steamed peas. If you have any leftover potatoes, keep them in the fridge and reheat until crispy.

Recipe from ‘You Can Cook This’ by Max La Manna (Ebury Press, £22).