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1 ½ pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes (10 to 14)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives (optional)

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot

Pinch of red pepper flakes

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1. Scrub 1 ½ pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes clean and place in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover potatoes by about 2 inches. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the kosher salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, finely chop until you have 1 tablespoon fresh chives if desired and reserve for garnishing.

2. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are very tender and can be easily pierced with a sharp knife with no resistance, 18 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 450ºF.

3. When the potatoes are ready, drain and set aside. Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in the now-empty pot and over low heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

4. Remove from the heat, add the potatoes, and toss to coat. Using tongs, transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet and space them evenly apart. Reserve the remaining melted butter mixture. Using the bottom of a lightly greased mug or measuring cup, press down on each potato until it splits open and is flattened to ¾-inch thick.

5. Roast until the bottoms are golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Carefully flip the potatoes with a flat spatula. Rotate the baking sheet and roast until the second side is browned and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes more. Brush the potatoes with remaining melted butter mixture and top with the chives if using.

4 Tips for the Best Smashed Potatoes

Here are a few things to keep in mind for the smashed potato success.

Start the potatoes in cold, heavily salted water. This promotes even cooking.

Don’t drain the potatoes until they’re extremely knife tender. If they’re not super soft, it’s going to be pretty hard to smash them.

Don’t crowd the sheet pan. If the potatoes are on top of each other, they’ll never get golden-brown and crispy. If you need to split them between two pans, go ahead and do so.

Remember that they’re supposed to be rustic. If you have some loose potato shards or your potatoes don’t smash to absolute perfection, don’t sweat it. The uneven edges and crispy bits are what make them so tasty.