Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Colorado

Ingredients

For the mojo colorado:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons pimentón
• 1 small, fresh, hot red chile, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup water

For the potatoes:

• 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon pimentón

Directions

Step 1

Make the mojo colorado: Char the bell pepper over a gas burner or under a broiler until it is blackened and blistered on all sides. Peel, stem, seed, and tear it into several pieces. Place in a blender jar with the other sauce ingredients, and blend until smooth. Add more salt if needed or water to thin. Set aside.

Step 2

Bake the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F. (If you used your broiler to roast the pepper, let the oven cool to 375° before continuing the recipe.) Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat a baking dish large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Bake the potatoes until they are soft when pierced with a knife or a bamboo skewer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and gently smash each potato with the back of a large spoon. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with salt. Top with the grated Manchego cheese and dust with pimentón. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Drizzle with the mojo colorado before serving.