Piccata-Style Crispy Potatoes

These potatoes started with a craving for chicken piccata and a need for a side dish, and somehow the two ideas collided into one of my favorite potato recipes.

Tender fingerlings get smashed, drenched in a lemony, buttery, caper-filled white wine sauce, then roasted until crisp around the edges. They’ve got all the bright, briny flavors of piccata with the crunchy-creamy texture of smashed potatoes.

Servings: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

Total Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1–1½ pounds fingerling potatoes

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

• 1 lemon

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

• ⅓ cup dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• Kosher salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

For Serving

• Sour cream, optional

• Chopped parsley, optional

• Extra capers, if you’re a caper person

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

2. Add the fingerling potatoes and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until they are very tender and easily pierced with a fork.

3. While the potatoes cook, thinly slice half of the lemon and reserve the other half for juicing.

4. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lemon slices and capers and cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and the lemon begins to brown.

5. Add the juice from the remaining lemon half and the white wine. Cook for 3–5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced slightly and the alcohol aroma has cooked off.

6. Add the butter and swirl the pan until melted and the sauce comes together. Season with salt and black pepper, then remove from the heat.

7. Drain the potatoes and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.

8. Using the bottom of a glass or mug, gently smash each potato until about ½ inch thick.

9. Spoon the lemon-caper sauce evenly over the potatoes, making sure each one gets coated. Add another drizzle of olive oil to any dry spots.

10. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and crisp around the edges.

11. Serve warm with sour cream, extra capers, or chopped parsley if desired.

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Serving Suggestions

These are especially good with:

• Crispy Chicken Thighs

• Roast chicken

• Grilled salmon

• Pork chops

• Steak

• A simple green salad

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Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 10–15 minutes to bring back the crispy edges. I’d avoid microwaving if you can.

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Maddie's Tip

Boil the potatoes until they’re really fork-tender before smashing them. If you have to fight the potato with your mug, it isn’t ready. Properly cooked potatoes should flatten easily without falling completely apart.