I can't think of too many foods that salt does not enhance the flavour of....and these Salt Potatoes are no exception!
You won't believe how 3 simple ingredients can revolutionize your humble potato side dish!
Ingredients
- the potatoes should be small bite-sized. You can use larger ones but you must be able to cook them whole or they will absorb too much salt.
- the salt can be regular table or sea salt.
- your regular butter is fine but for a real treat consider a creamy, country style or grass-fed butter since it will stand out so much in this dish.
History
The dish originated in Syracuse, New York in the 1800s. Consumable salt was made by drying the salty brine bubbling out of the local salt springs. The Irish workers at the salt spring would boil their lunch potatoes in the salty brine.
As their popularity grew they became a staple of Central New York fairs and BBQs.
Tradition is for young, white, bite size potatoes to be boiled in a brine of 1 cup of salt to 6 cups of water. The salt forms a crust around the potato so less water is absorbed during cooking. Also, the higher boiling temperature of salt water cooks the potato starch more evenly resulting in an even creamier texture.
Salt potatoes are served drizzled with melted butter.
At one time this dish was a seasonal dish when young small potatoes were first available. Now that gourmet potatoes are in stores year round you can make them any time!
Recipes vary the salt to water ratio. In Central New York John Hinerwadel started serving salt potatoes as a side to his seafood. He later began packaging five-pound bags of potatoes along with a 12-ounce box of salt and labeled them Hinerwadel's Famous Original Salt Potatoes. To date, the Hinerwadel family has sold millions of bags of salt potatoes, and they are still counting.
I ended up using 1 cup of salt to 10 cups of water and I was pleased with the 'saltiness' level.
Put the scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot with the salt and water and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. This may take 20 minutes or so depending on the size and shape of your pot. Reduce the heat and boil the potatoes about 20 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. The salt film will form as the water evaporates off the potato skin. Serve hot with melted butter for drizzling or dipping.
Try these Salted Potatoes in my take on Poutine at Home!
Wine Pairing
The saltiness of these potatoes would go well with the salinity often suggested by a Sauvignon Blanc, Grillo, Muscadet, Vermentino or Albariño.
You could as long as you can cook them whole. The traditional is small, bite-size potatoes. The potato interiors may not be as creamy as smaller potatoes though. Don't use potatoes so large you have to cut them into pieces or they will absorb too much salt.
Yes. Some of the oldest traditional recipes use 1 cup of salt to 6 cups of water. Salt increases the boiling temperature of water and the higher boiling point may contribute to the creaminess of the finished potato, so feel free to experiment.
You may see kits for sale in the North Eastern US but there is no need. Gourmet potatoes are now readily available and it it very easy to make them at home.
Related Recipes
Salt Potatoes
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Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- 48 mini gourmet potatoes I used Dynamic Duo from The Little Potato Company
- 1 cup table salt
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup butter
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes if not pre-washed. Do not peel.
- Add salt to the water in a large pot. Add potatoes and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. When boiling reduce the heat and allow potatoes to simmer approximately 20 minutes more. They are done when they are fork tender in the middle.
- Melt butter gently in the microwave.
- Serve hot potatoes immediately with melted butter for drizzling or dipping.
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