Boiled Potatoes With Butter and Mint

Name: Boiled Potatoes With Butter and Mint
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Cuisine: british
Ingredients: 1 pound small potatoes, like fingerlings or creamers, all about the same size; 1 tablespoon flaky salt, like Maldon, or kosher salt; 4 tablespoons/2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or shaved; A 5-finger pinch of whole mint leaves, preferably black mint (see note); 1/2 lemon; Coarsely ground black pepper

Recipe from April Bloomfield

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Boiled Potatoes With Butter and Mint — Rikki Snyder for The New York Times

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(382)
Comments: Read comments

The chef April Bloomfield cooks from a place of profound hunger for good food: specifically, Birmingham in the Midlands of England, where she grew up in the 1970s and 1980s just as English food reached a low point. The childhood food she remembers most fondly: the hot buttered potatoes served in her school cafeteria. Her homage to that dish is this basic but stunningly good recipe for freshly boiled potatoes thickly glazed in butter and brightened with lemon, garlic, cracked black pepper and what she calls a "five-fingered pinch" of fresh mint leaves, "as much as you can grab with just the tips of all five fingers." —Julia Moskin

Featured in: April Bloomfield’s ‘A Girl and Her Greens’ Delights in the Details

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

1pound small potatoes, like fingerlings or creamers, all about the same size
1tablespoon flaky salt, like Maldon, or kosher salt
4tablespoons/2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1small garlic clove, finely grated or shaved
A 5-finger pinch of whole mint leaves, preferably black mint (see note)
½lemon
Coarsely ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
In a medium pot, combine potatoes and salt. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by a generous ½ inch and set the pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a vigorous simmer. Cook potatoes just until tender and creamy inside, 10 to 25 minutes depending on size.
Step 2
Reserving ¼ cup cooking liquid, gently drain the potatoes and return them to the stove. Add butter, garlic and reserved cooking liquid to the pot and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling the pan and basting as needed so that the liquid coats the potatoes until they are well glazed, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Tear the mint leaves into small pieces, stir them very gently into the potatoes, and take the pot off the heat. Squeeze on just enough lemon to add brightness, not sourness; taste as you go. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

382 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

L.G.7 years ago

What, pray, is a 5-finger pinch? Too many hilarious answers come to mind, but a volume or weight of mint leaves, black or otherwise, would be useful.

Iris Brest7 years ago

Seems like a waste to use Maldon or any other expensive finishing salt in a pot of cooking water, when kosher salt is perfectly good.

Julia Moskin7 years ago

Hi all,

To "see note" on mint that the ingredients list refers to, scroll up just above the recipe. It explains what April Bloomfield means by "a five-finger pinch."

Black mint is simply a type of mint that she particularly likes, but I make it with whatever mint I can get, and it is always great. The ingredients may be basic, but the technique of glazing and scenting the potatoes is what makes it special.

Yna Doe1 month ago

What an exemplary vegetable

Sarah N.1 year ago

Perfect accompaniment to baked fresh fish - it elevated the main dish without overwhelming.

Vicki1 year ago

Agree with all the previous positive reviews. A little after 5 min the potato-water turned into a beautiful glaze. Perfect dish for little ones and their grown-ups.

Private comments are only visible to you.