makes 6 servings
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Salt Potatoes are a classic Central NY dish. Thin salt crusts, almost impossibly tender centers, and a drizzle of melted butter make them just as irresistible as they are easy to prepare.
3 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 cup kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fresh herbs, chopped, to serve (optional)
Whisk the salt into a gallon of water in a large pot until fully dissolved and no salt sinks to the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes to the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender and about a quarter of the water has evaporated, about 25-35 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to sit while salt crust develops. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over the potatoes or serve on the side for dipping. Sprinkle the potatoes with chopped herbs and serve immediately.
This recipe required bite-sized baby potatoes. If you want your Salt Potatoes to be as authentic as possible, you want to get tan-skinned potatoes, as red-skinned potatoes aren’t traditional. That being said, as long as you use new potatoes, you’ll get good results. The smaller, the better.
DO NOT buy bigger potatoes and cut them before boiling, or you’re in for a world of saltiness. The skin keeps all of that salt from being absorbed by the potato’s flesh, which means once you slice them, there’s no saving them.
Don’t wait for all of the water to evaporate and to see the salt crust to take your potatoes out of the pot. The crust will appear– like a magic trick– while the potatoes sit in the colander. Leave them in too long and you’ll wind up with a salt crust so thick, no one will be able to stomach them. Not even the most dedicated of salt lovers, like myself.
https://hostthetoast.com/syracuse-salt-potatoes/