Boiled Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Scrape the new potatoes instead of peeling them to retain nutrients.
If using old potatoes, pare them and soak in cold water for 4–5 hours before cooking.
Boil and dry
In a pot, bring water to a boil and add a small handful of coarse sea salt.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until they are tender.
Pour off the water and let the potatoes stand uncovered near the fire to dry.
To steam, cover the pot with a coarse cloth and return it to the fire.
Remove from heat as soon as they start to crack or a fork easily pierces them.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- New potatoes
- Their waxy, firm flesh holds its shape and becomes creamy-tender when boiled.
The step that matters
Removing the potatoes from heat at the right moment. Potatoes keep cooking from residual heat, so waiting until they crack or a fork slides in easily prevents them from becoming waterlogged and falling apart.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More boiled potatoes recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.