Crushed Potatoes with Parmesan & Shallots

This crushed potatoes recipe is so simple, delicious and incredibly easy. Using new potatoes, they're parboiled, seasoned and sprinkled with parmesan and shallots. You can find an alternative Slimming World version here.

Disclaimer: I was gifted some steaks from the South Ormsby Estate which I cooked as a main to this recipe. However, I have full editorial control. This post also contains some affiliate links.

Recently, I was gifted a bundle of steaks from the South Ormsby Estate in the Lincolnshire Wolds to film an unboxing. Normally, I don't accept packages like these as you know I'm usually so busy here and on my food blog.

However, I simply couldn't resist as I have a fond love of Lincolnshire itself. I've spent many family holidays there, I went to Lincoln University and now coincidentally, my in-laws live 10 miles from South Ormsby. It's a bit strange that the steaks made a round trip to the Midlands and back.

And rather charming, I thought. So, I decided to review them, but more as an opportunity to meet up with family and taste their local food. We'd also treated it as a post-renovation treat and went to the beach in our campervan in Huttoft with our collie, Hans. It's one of our regular getaway places.

OUR FAVOURITE WAY ON HOW TO COOK SIRLOIN STEAK

Out of the meat bundle, we decided to cook the four sirloin steaks as we're quite partial to them. And how to cook sirloin steaks wasn't up for debate. We cooked them as we normally do with most of our meaty gatherings: on the Cadac.

But I've learnt over the years, one of the key ingredients to enrich the flavour and in my crushed potatoes, is salt. And preferably sea salt as it's much more subtle.

But to make it a combined effort, first, my father in law drizzles some vegetable oils on his Cadac and whack up the heat. Meanwhile, generously season the steak with pinches of sea salt.

Then sear both sides for a few minutes while the temperature is at its hottest. And until the red flesh turns grey to golden all over. Now reduce the heat, add some fresh herbs such as rosemary and continue to fry evenly on both sides until it's cooked how to you like.

When my husband and I are cooking on our own, we opt for just a few minutes for medium to rare.

However, when we're with our in-laws, they prefer well done for around 10 then let them rest with some button mushrooms to soak up the juices.

While it's resting, this is when we popped the crushed potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes. I'll talk you through the recipe shortly.

Then once halfway through cooking, we heat up the steaks again and add the mushrooms. The fat from the steaks gives the best-tasting mushrooms ever.

You could also add some onions here too, but we personally thought we had enough food.

OUR LINCOLN RED BEEF VERDICT ALONSIDE CRUSHED POTATOES

I really don't know how to say this without sounding predictable and cheesy. But I think these were the best sirloin steaks I've ever tasted. Obviously, I can't vouch for everyone at the table, but we all said how delicious they were.

We could absolutely taste the difference. The steaks had so much flavour from the meat, fat and I believe, the sea salt.

I wouldn't buy many of these for our week-day meals as can imagine it would get expensive. But to guarantee everyone enjoys themselves over great company and great food, this bundle of luxury is a safe bet.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH STEAK

With steak being a super easy and quick meal, we wanted to make something equally hassle-free but delicious. And this was especially since we were only visiting my in-laws for dinner. So I decided to make something I've always wanted: crushed potatoes.

These are in fact, crushed new potatoes and with plenty of flavours to compliment sirloin steak. However, other sides we've whipped up in the past or plan to in the future are:

• Frites (skinny fries), just how we devoured them at L'Entrecote in Bordeaux
• Baked potatoes with beans and cheese
• Potato salad
• Cheesy mash
• Dauphinoise
• Roasted cauliflower
• Onion rings
• Mushrooms
• Chimichurri
• Diane sauce, peppercorn sauce or similar

HOW TO MAKE CRUSHED POTATOES

Ingredients - Serves 4 people

• 750g new potatoes
• A few good pinches of sea salt to your taste
• Dash of black pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 shallots, peeled and finely diced
• 1 heaped tablespoon grated parmesan

Instructions

First, preheat your oven at 220 degrees and add a tablespoon of olive oil in a large baking tray. Then place in the oven to kickstart heating the oil up.

Meanwhile, parboil the new potatoes for 10 minutes in salted water. TIP: don't chop or prick them as we want them to retain as much moisture inside as possible.

Drain the potatoes and transfer them to the baking tray.

Then, using a potato masher or a fork, gently press down on the new potatoes to crush them. This will expose some of the flesh to encourage more crispy edges later with mostly a soft middle.

Sprinkle a few good pinches all over the potatoes and a dash a fine black pepper to taste.

Now drizzle the final tablespoon of olive oil on top.

And them scatter the finely chopped shallots all over, too.

Finally, add the heaped tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan all over. Or more if you wish, of course.

And bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until everything has melted and the onions have started to char.

Serve between four people as a side. We loved ours with sirloin steaks, mushrooms, onion rings, salad and a drizzle of Diane sauce.

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PIN CRUSHED POTATOES FOR LATER