Think of this dish of crusty potatoes as one giant roastie. Roasties are British-style roast potatoes. The potatoes are peeled, parboiled, bashed around a little in the pot once drained, or some people run the tines of a fork over the surface of the potatoes to make it rough. When the potatoes are roasted, the outside layer becomes brown and crusty while the inside is fluffy. They are a treat.
To make this one-pan of crusty potatoes, I boiled the potatoes in salted water then crushed them leaving some large chucks among the lot. The seasoning was simple – freshly ground black pepper and a few pats of butter. Finely minced rosemary, thyme, marjoram or fresh oregano are herbs that can be mixed in as well.
The ideal pan for this would be a cast iron or a pan of similar properties – can retain high heat evenly and be transferred from the stovetop to the oven. You can also cook this dish on the stovetop but if you do, it would be a good idea to get another pan or pot of heft to place on top of the potatoes to ensure that