Salt Crusted Potatoes
Salt Crusted Potatoes
Salt crusted potatoes are simply amazing! This is my new favorite way to cook potatoes. Potatoes seem boring. Like, there’s only so many ways to dress them up or cook them. This was a new and inventive experiment in making them. I’ve seen it done on TV, but never quite understood how it was done. Until I looked it up and decided to give it a try myself.
Being a wife and homemaker, I am always looking to try new things because the same basic recipes get really boring after a while.
The great thing about these potatoes are that the salt removes the excess moisture in the potatoes and they shrink a bit. The potatoes end up looking wrinkled. Kind of like your fingertips if you’ve been in a pool or bath for too long.
But don’t worry! This is a good thing. The potatoes come out dense, in both the flavor and the texture. The potatoes were not mushy when I cut into them with my fork, and the flavor was amazing. I used what is called a “petite medley” or a mixture of red, gold, and purple mini potatoes. Fingerling potatoes are also a perfect variety for this dish as well.
The other day Nathan asked me what kind of potato dish I was making for our dinner. Which I said, it’s an experiment. Ok, he was fine with that. Didn’t ask any further questions. Until I was getting ready to boil them and asked him for a measuring cup and salt. I poured half a cup of salt into my pan and added a small amount of water to dissolve the salt into. His only question to me was, do I even want to know what you’re making that requires that much salt? Probably not was my response.
I placed my salt crusted potatoes into the pan as the water was heating up and I had stirred the salt into the water. Once the potatoes were in, I put just enough water to barely cover them. I brought the water to a rapid boil and reduce the heat to a medium-high to continue a slightly more gentle boil. Set the timer for 45 minutes and let them go.
Be sure to pay attention to the water level when boiling these. If the water has evaporated and the pan is left on the stove, the salt and potatoes will burn. Keep in mind that 45 minutes is an estimated time. All that is needed is to boil until the water has evaporated.
The funny thing was when it was almost over as I was making the chicken portion of dinner, my husband noticed the potatoes start to form the salt crust around them. He said, ahhh I get it now! The salt will crust on the potatoes. Yes! That’s the whole idea behind salt crusted potatoes.
These potatoes turned out perfectly! By the time the 45 minutes were up, all of the water had evaporated out of the pan and I was left with beautiful salty potatoes. I checked them for doneness by stabbing one with a fork, and it went straight through but didn’t fall apart. Perfect! I wanted them tender, but not mushy and overdone.
After this, I put them in a strainer and rinsed off the excess salt (there was a lot) and then served them. They tasted absolutely amazing! They really turned out better than I had expected, although I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting. I’m pretty sure this is my new favorite way to cook potatoes. It is really simple, yet tastes fantastic. It surprises me that they taste so great with such little effort. Who can’t boil potatoes in some super salty water? But it really is just that easy!
If you are looking for a simple yet elegant side dish to serve, I highly recommend this method. It certainly beats mashed potatoes, if you ask me.
Some similar recipes that I’ve read recommend baking them after boiling to crisp up the skin, however I did not try this. I was very happy with the taste and texture of simply boiling them. Others recommended eating them like a baked potato, drizzling butter and sour cream over them. Or, even sprinkling with herbs once cooked.
Discussion
I paired these potatoes with chicken and carrots for a bright and vibrant dish that is delicious as well as pretty!
Have you tried salt crusted potatoes? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Check out my other side dish recipes!
13 Comments
Scott J DeNicola
Why is it I always read your stuff at my weakest points and I find an article on food? I love potatoes and this recipe sounds delicious and easy to make. I get bored of the same old mashed or baked potatoes so I will need to give this one a try. I did just discover those petite potatoes as well. We have a good recipe for crispy red potatoes with an onion soup mix that is delicious.
The Prepping Wife
With the onion soup, add a little olive oil and roast in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes. They are so simple and delicious as well! I always use red potatoes for that recipe, with the skin still on them. That is a favorite in my house. Paired with my beer can chicken and some carrots. Yeah. Now I’m hungry too!
Jessica Collazo
This is a interesting way to cook potatoes. I’ve never heard about this before but I’m shure going to try it.
jerry godinho
Erica, thanks for the tireless and thankless job that you do as a moderator. Thanks for preparing all these amazing recipes for us to read and drool. I need to try this recipe as i usually do baked, french fries, gratine and grilled. This is an amazing and delicious recipe. Keep up the awesome work that you do as a food blogger.
Subhashish Roy
I must try out this innovative dish, potato being my all time favorite. First I too like Nathan was wondering why half a cup of salt. Am I reading right?
The Prepping Wife
Yes, you are reading that correctly, Subhashish! The recipe calls for half a cup of salt. It seems a little insane, I do agree. But that will pull all the moisture out of the potatoes, changing the texture of them and giving them a dense flavor-packed texture and taste. I always put my potatoes in a strainer and rinse them off once they are cooked, that way I’m not eating little salt bombs though. Make sure you rinse before eating.
Daphne Takahashi
That’s a really interesting way of cooking potatoes! i would have thought the potatoes would end up really salty! But they seem really yummy!! i need to try this! thanks for sharing!
The Prepping Wife
The salt doesn’t penetrate the potatoes because of the skin. It is just for cooking, to pull the moisture out of the potatoes to give them a very different texture. Once they are cooked, put them in a strainer and give them a quick rinse to get rid of the salt on the outside. I admit that I wondered the exact same thing the first time I tried them as well. But I quickly learned to rinse them off and I was set.
Britt
This sounds like the perfect side dish with the holidays coming – after all, there are going to be so many big dinners with family and friends, and you want options to change it up! Everyone is going to be serving mashed potatoes – salt crusted potatoes would make your meal stand out
Lyosha
I made a big mistake reading your blog before lunch. I mean I would so eat it now! It’s not something we normally cook so I am even more curious!
Megan Kerry
Erica you make me laugh! “Do I even want to know what you’re Cooking?”….pause for drama-“probably not”! Lol I’m so glad these salted potatoes came out well! I’m so curious about this recipe! I’ve never heard of them before. Totally giving them a try now!
Alexandra
Wow, this seemed pretty creative and amazing! I would think that they would be too salty after cooking them that way but you said they tasted great. And that was even after rinsing some of the salt off of the potatoes so I guess some of the flavor seeps through with the cooking. It does seem super easy only I would be the one to wreck it by forgetting to watch the water. I am so distracted these days. I’m glad you mentioned that part.
Kelly Martin
Oh yum! These salt crusted potatoes sound delicious! Potatoes are one of my favourite foods so I really want to try this recipe.