Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Molten Raclette Cheese Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Gather everything before you turn on the heat, because the cooking moves quickly once the potatoes hit the skillet. Scrub the baby potatoes and set a large pot of well-salted water to boil. While it heats, finely chop the green onions and keep the whites separate from the greens you will use for garnish. Peel the garlic head, separate the cloves and mince them finely.

Strip the rosemary leaves from the sprig and chop them small. Grate the raclette on a box grater until you have a fluffy mound of shreds, and set it aside in a cold bowl. Measure the butter and olive oil, and set a clean cutting board, a glass or potato masher, a thin spatula and a colander near the stove.

Instructions

Boiled and smashed potatoes

1. 1Prep the potatoes and garnish
   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook until a knife slides into the center with no resistance. Drain them well and let them steam dry in the colander for a few minutes.
   Look for Potatoes yield easily to a paring knife and the skins look slightly split.
   Tip Salt the water generously so the potatoes season from the inside out.
2. 2Chop the aromatics
   While the potatoes cook, finely chop the green onions with a santoku knife. Mince the peeled garlic cloves and chop the rosemary leaves. Set the garlic and rosemary aside, and keep the green onions in two portions: whites for cooking and greens for garnish.
   Look for Garlic is finely minced and the rosemary leaves are chopped fine.
   Tip Mince the garlic just before cooking so it stays bright and aromatic.
3. 3Grate the raclette
   Grate the raclette on the large holes of a box grater until you have a fluffy mound of shreds. Keep it cool until the potatoes are ready to go into the skillet.
   Look for The cheese forms light, fluffy shreds rather than a dense block.
   Tip Chill the cheese briefly if it becomes soft and clumps while grating.

The potatoes should be fully tender when pierced, with skins just beginning to split. Once drained and steamed dry for a few minutes, they should be easy to press without falling apart. Smash each one with the base of a glass or your palm into a rough disc about half an inch thick, keeping the edges ragged.

Check that no potato is too thin to hold its shape, since thin pieces can tear in the pan. If a disc crumbles, press it back together gently or leave it as is, since rustic edges crisp well. The surface should look slightly dry and matte before it goes into the hot fat, because excess moisture steams the crust instead of browning it.

Golden crisp bottoms

4. 4Smash the potatoes flat
   Place each cooked potato on the board and press it with the base of a drinking glass or your palm until it forms a rough disc about half an inch thick. Keep the pieces intact so the edges stay ragged for extra crunch.
   Look for Each potato splits into a flat, rough-edged disc.
   Tip Smash them while still warm so they flatten without tearing into crumbs.
5. 5Crisp the potatoes in butter and oil
   Set a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, place the smashed potatoes in the hot fat in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and cook until the bottoms are deep golden and crisp.
   Look for Edges turn golden brown and the potatoes release easily from the pan.
   Tip Do not move the potatoes until the bottoms are crisp, or they will tear.
6. 6Flip and add the first cheese layer
   Flip the potatoes with a thin spatula. Scatter a generous layer of grated raclette over them so it melts and bubbles into the crevices between the discs. Let the cheese melt until it is bubbling and lacy at the edges.
   Look for The cheese bubbles and runs into the cracks around the potatoes.
   Tip Use about two-thirds of the cheese here, saving the rest for the center.

After the butter foams and the olive oil shimmers in the cast iron skillet, the potatoes should sizzle immediately when placed in the fat. Give them several minutes without moving, and check the edges lifting: they should be deep golden brown and the discs should release easily from the metal. If they stick, give them another minute, as they are not ready yet. Season lightly with salt while they cook, and watch the heat so the butter does not blacken. When the bottoms are crisp, the potatoes are ready to flip. Turn them carefully with a thin spatula so the edges stay intact.

Molten cheese and final assembly

7. 7Arrange and top the platter
   Carry the skillet to the board and arrange the potatoes in a circle. Pile the remaining raclette in the center, then top it with the minced garlic, chopped rosemary and sliced green onion greens. Give the center a few moments to melt into a pool.
   Look for Center cheese is glossy and soft, with garlic and herbs spread over it.
   Tip Serve immediately while the center is still molten and gooey.
8. 8Finish with flaky salt and serve
   Sprinkle the platter with flaky salt and the remaining green onion greens. Serve straight from the skillet, letting each guest break off a crisp potato and dip it into the melted center.
   Look for Potatoes are crisp and golden, and the center cheese stays molten.
   Tip Add the flaky salt last so it stays crunchy against the soft cheese.

Once the cheese has been spread over the flipped potatoes, it should melt into a bubbling, lacy layer that runs into the cracks around each disc. Check that the edges of the cheese are golden and crisp, while the center is glossy and soft. Carry the skillet to the board and arrange the potatoes in a circle with the molten center open. Top that center with the remaining raclette, garlic, rosemary and green onion greens. The cheese should look soft and stretchy, ready to pool when you pull at it with a fork. Serve right away, since the center begins to set as it cools.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is moving the potatoes too early. If you stir or lift them before the bottoms have formed a crust, they will tear and stick, leaving you with a pile of shreds instead of a neat platter. Equally common is using a pan that is not hot enough, so the potatoes steam and turn pale instead of golden.

Use medium-high heat and let the butter and oil come up to temperature before adding the potatoes. Another frequent issue is pre-shredded cheese, which contains starch that keeps it from melting into a smooth pool. Grate a block yourself for the best result. Finally, do not overcrowd the skillet: work in batches if the potatoes do not fit in one even layer, so each disc has room to crisp.

How to tell it’s done

The dish is ready when the potato edges are deep golden brown and crackly, the bottoms release cleanly from the skillet, and the raclette has melted into a bubbling, lacy layer with a glossy molten pool in the center. Press a fork into the center: it should pull into long, stretchy strands.

The potatoes should be tender inside and crisp outside. If you use a thermometer to check the potato interior, aim for a soft, fully cooked center; there is no protein in this recipe, so no safe internal temperature applies. Serve as soon as the cheese is molten, because it firms as it cools.