Serves 8-10 as a side dish
(recipe by Allie Phelps)
- 20-25 new potatoes
- 3 lemons
- 8 oz. cream cheese, allowed to soften at room temperature for 45 min.
- 1 1/2 diced white onions
- 2 T champagne vinegar
- 1 small bunch of chives
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
Fill a large pot halfway with water, and add about three teaspoons of salt
Once the water is boiling, add freshly scrubbed new potatoes
Boil new potatoes for 15-20 minutes, taking out one of the larger potatoes at 15 minutes to test its readiness. The potatoes are ready when a fork goes in with a bit of pressure. Do not overcook, as the skins will discolor and pull away from the body of the potato.
While the potatoes are boiling, saute the diced onion in about 4 T of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. If the pan gets dry, it’s OK to add more olive oil – drizzling one teaspoon over the onions at a time. After five minutes, add the vinegar. The onions are done when they are clear and tender.
Drain the potatoes, and place them in a bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool
Once the potatoes have cooled slightly, place one potato at a time on a wooden cutting board or other hard surface. With one hand, hold a spatula over the potato, and lightly smash the potato with the base of the fist on your other hand. You simply want to smash the potato so it’s easier to incorporate the rest of the ingredients. Place the smashed potatoes in a large bowl
To the bowl of the smashed potatoes, add the cream cheese and mix well to make sure the cream cheese distributes evenly.
Zest each of the lemons into the mix, and afterwards add the juice of each lemon. Continue to mix.
Add the caramelized onions, taking care to drain any excess olive oil before adding to the mixture.
Add freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.
Finally add 4-5 T of finely diced chives. We find that it’s easier to cut chives using a pair of scissors, rather than dicing them on a cutting board.
Transfer your smashed potatoes into your serving dish, and garnish with a few more snips of chives and some freshly ground pepper.