Crushed Sour Cream Potatoes
These extremely rich, highly textured potatoes are no less luxurious than the silky mashed variety, but they are a lot less work. There’s no ricing, mashing or whipping — just a simple crush to expose the potatoes’ craggy interior. From here on out, the key word is “cream”: Creamy potatoes meld with the garlicky heavy cream mixture and lots of sour cream. Small (and yes, creamy) potatoes on the waxy side, like a new potato or even a fingerling, work best here, but a more floury potato cut into large chunks would also work in a pinch. Don’t skimp on the black pepper or chives. They truly make this dish.
YIELD — 8–10 servings
Ingredients
4 pounds small, creamy potatoes, no larger than a golf ball, such as gold creamer
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
6 large garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
½ cup finely chopped chives
⅓ cup coarsely chopped dill
Directions
1. Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. (This step can be done ahead of time; keep potatoes covered and warm on the stovetop.)
2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, gently simmer the cream and the garlic until garlic is completely tender and cream is reduced by about a third (it will look slightly thicker, about the consistency of melted ice cream), 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Add butter and swirl to melt. (This can also be done ahead; rewarm before proceeding.)
3. Using your hands or something like a small dish or bowl, crush the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Pour cream mixture over the potatoes, and season with salt and more pepper. Toss to coat, encouraging the potatoes to break down slightly but remain textured and chunky.
4. Stir in sour cream, half the chives and half the dill. Transfer to a large serving bowl and top with remaining chives and dill, and more black pepper and sour cream, if you like.