On St. Patrick’s Day, we all wonder what goes well with green! The question is relevant whether you’re cooking or choosing clothes. This St. Pat’s Day, I’m skipping the colcannon and opting for salt potatoes.
This allows me to skip the kale which I do not love. Technically, I could make colcannon with an alternate green and avoid kale, but the swiftness and ease of salt potatoes appeals to my Monday sluggishness.
The first time I learned of salt potatoes, my son told me to put so much salt in the brine I thought the potatoes would be inedible. I was wrong. They were delicious.
Like many dishes, salt potatoes are a result of availability and convenience. In the 1800s, Irish immigrants who worked in the salt mines around Syracuse, New York would bring new potatoes to work and cook them in brine left from solution mining. The high salt content of the water and the small size of the potatoes meant the cooking process was quick and it yielded a filling lunch.
To make salt potatoes, all you need is salt, water, and small potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes work well, but any new potato can be used. For visual appeal, I like a mix of jacket colors. Once the potatoes are done and in the serving dish, I let a few pats of butter melt across the top. Some people serve with melted butter for dipping.
I’ve never used a recipe for salt potatoes and I haven’t found any two that are exactly the same. Roughly, use a ratio of 2 cups of salt to 8 cups of water. You read that right, CUPS. (See why I thought it would be too salty?) Some recipes prefer 1.5 cups salt to 8 cups water, but others add another .25 – .5 cups of salt to this amount of water. In other words, there’s some flexibility.
Any kind of salt is fine, but some cooks prefer large, coarse grains that result in a more even coating on the potatoes. When the potatoes are done and removed from the brine, the skin will have a cloudy white surface that becomes more pronounced as it dries.
The process is to wash the potatoes. Add 8 cups of water to a large pot. Stir salt into water until dissolved. You can turn the burner on while you’re dissolving the salt. Once salt is all melted and water is boiling, add about 4 pounds of potatoes and boil until done – about 15 – 20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Remove potatoes from brine.
At this point, you can serve with melted butter for dipping or let some butter melt over the warm potatoes. Dipping butter can be plain or enhanced with fresh herbs and/or garlic.
These potatoes are delicious alongside cabbage or any other green. They’re a great starch to serve with beef, chicken, or pork. Leftovers can be reheated or made into potato salad or hash browns.
When you’re looking for something that goes well with green, don’t be afraid to choose frugal, simple, flexible, and delicious salt potatoes!
