Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Fried Onions and Parsley

Recipe by Alison Roman for Food & Wine Magazine

Kosher salt
1-¼ lb. new potatoes or fingerlings (if your potatoes are larger than 1.5-inches or so, you should cut them up)
1/3-cup chicken fat, olive oil or peanut oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ of an onion, thinly sliced into rings
1-teaspoon Aleppo or 1/2-teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Flaky sea salt
¼-cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Bring 2 inches of salted water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer or colander. Add the potatoes and season with salt. Cover and steam for 8 - 10 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender. If you don’t have a steamer, you can boil the potatoes in salted water until tender (10 - 15 minutes).

Remove the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Using the bottom of a bowl or cup, or the palm of your hand, smash until just crushed to expose the inside (not too much or they will fall apart).

Heat the fat of your choice in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer (working in batches if you need to) and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook until both sides are super browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon or spatula and transfer them to a serving bowl or platter.

Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt and foam. Add the onion rings in a single layer and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, swirling the skillet occasionally, until the onions have turned golden brown and started to crisp, 4 - 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the red pepper flakes, swirling the skillet a few times to combine. Pour the onions any butter in the skillet over the potatoes and top with flaky sea salt and the parsley.