Martha Stewart's Famous Smashed Potatoes Are Deliciously Easy
The Bedford by Martha Stewart is the famous chef's farmhouse-inspired restaurant that takes up residence at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. It's a popular spot that patrons love for its seasonal, local ingredients and irresistible dishes ... like Martha's Smashed Baked Potato.
A fan favorite on the menu, this perfect baked potato is served with a side of drama: It's smashed tableside. Topped with crème fraîche, chives, and bacon lardons, the French spin on a classic baked potato is the perfect accompaniment to any dish — whether you're in Vegas or at home.
And that's the best part — it's deliciously easy to make The Bedford's smashed potato in your own kitchen. Turns out the key to the tableside smashed potato is the table, and that's just about all you need to master Martha Stewart's technique. Slice the steaming hot tuber, hold it with a towel, and smash the thing, cut-side down, onto the table to open it up. It's a good thing.
How to make Martha's Smashed Baked Potato at home
The infamous culinary guru took to TikTok to show us just how easy it is to replicate Martha's Smashed Baked Potato — the same way they do it at The Bedford. The only ingredient you need (aside from whatever toppings and fixings you prefer): an Idaho potato.
This is a smashed baked potato, not a boiled or roasted one, so the first thing to do is bake your potato. Once it's baked to your liking and soft enough to pierce through, cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of the potato. Then it's time for the tableside smash.
@marthastewart Here’s how you can make The Bedford’s infamous smashed potato at home! 🥔 #smashedpotatoes #bakedpotato #foodtok
Stewart demonstrates how the smash is done: While the potato is still piping hot, nestle it in a cloth or towel and forcefully smash the potato onto the surface of a clean table. Stewart explains that smashing the potato "breaks up all the fibers, and makes the potato a delightful fluffy creation." From there, it's just a matter of finishing it off with unique toppings to make a meal out of your baked potato.
Why Idaho potatoes?
Idaho potatoes are exactly what they sound like — potatoes that were grown in Idaho. In order to be considered official Idaho potatoes, they must be certified with a "Grown in Idaho" seal by the Idaho Potato Commission. But why are Idaho potatoes certified, and what makes them superior to other potatoes?
The conditions in the state of Idaho happen to be ideal for growing potatoes, thanks to the specific climate and irrigation of the region as well as the state's volcanic soil. These rich growing conditions make for potatoes with a high starch content and little moisture, which results in a fluffy interior and crispy exterior when baked.
Idaho potatoes are often considered interchangeable with russet potatoes in general, but russet potatoes are just one variety grown in Idaho (and can also be grown elsewhere). The state also produces several other potato varieties, from Yukon golds to fingerlings. But to get the Stewart-approved stamp, it needs to be Idaho.