I first saw these in the fall on "America's Test Kitchen." I've been working to find a version that I can make in the summer in my non-air-conditioned kitchen and did it last week. When I was in Florida visiting my parents I made the version mentioned ... Daddy is a potato man when it comes to starch (he's OK with pasta, doesn't like rice at all) and everyone loved them.
To limit heat in the kitchen, I cleaned and pierced the potatoes (I used Yukon golds), then nuked in a pie pan with about a quarter inch of water in the bottom. This step varies because microwaves really vary in power. When done, I brushed olive oil on one part of my Cuisinart griddler (preheated on high)(any similar appliance will do), then used the potato masher. S&P, brush oil on top, put the top plate down and press. They brown in very little time. I think this is going to be a summertime favorite. Yukon golds have such rich flavor so this minimal approach to seasoning -- good olive oil, salt, and pepper, really works with them. But for me in the summer, very little heat goes into the air.
