Skillet Potatoes

After daylight saving time started and it was light outside later, we made hamburgers one night and I found a new side dish recipe to go with them.  Let me pause by saying that when you picture "hamburger" it's probably not what my husband makes.  He grills hamburger patties and center cut bacon, toasts Kaiser rolls in the bacon grease, and assembles his famous "Gondola Ride" adding deli mustard, Swiss cheese, arugula, red onions, and bacon.  They are amazing.

The full name of this recipe on the original site is "Crispy-Outside, Creamy-Inside Garlic Herb Potatoes" - too long!  I'm going to call them skillet potatoes.  I loved the method and the end result and I'll be making these often as a side dish.  I liked dipping them in spicy mustard.

Skillet Potatoes (serves 4-6)
from Host the Toast

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
1 sprig rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
2 c. low sodium chicken broth (plus more if necessary)
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parsley, finely chopped

In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, arrange the baby red potatoes so that they are in a single layer with a little extra room around each one (you'll flatten them later).

Add the rosemary, thyme, chicken broth, olive oil, kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet.  Bring to a boil.  After it boils, reduce the heat to medium and put a lid on the skillet but leave it cracked to vent the excess steam.  Make sure the broth simmers for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

If all the liquid has absorbed, add an additional 1/2 cup.  You want the broth to come about 1/3 of the way up the side of the potatoes.

Take the pan off the heat and use a mallet or the back of a measuring cup to press down on the tops of the potatoes lightly until the skin cracks and and they flatten a little bit.

Return to high heat, uncovered, until the liquid has absorbed and the potatoes have browned on the bottom, about 10 minutes.  Take the pan off the heat again and flip the potatoes.  You can flatten them a little bit more at this point and scrape up any burnt bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the last tablespoon of butter, sprinkle with parsley, and cook until that side is browned, about 5 more minutes.  Serve warm sprinkled with salt and pepper.