salt potatoes — United States

Salt potatoes are small, waxy new potatoes boiled whole in water so heavily salted that it approaches saturation, which raises the boiling point and coats the skins in a thin, crackly crust of salt as the potatoes cook. The potatoes themselves stay creamy and tender inside, and are usually served hot, split open and topped with melted butter. This version is reported from the United States, and is closely associated with the area around Syracuse, New York, where the dish grew out of local salt production in the nineteenth century and is still served at community gatherings and summer cookouts. Small, thin-skinned new potatoes are used specifically because their skins hold the salt crust well and their size lets them cook through quickly. To prepare them, whole small potatoes, unpeeled, are placed in a pot with enough water to cover them, and a large quantity of salt is dissolved in, well beyond what would be used for ordinary seasoning. The potatoes are boiled until a fork slides easily into the center, by which point a fine white crust of salt has formed on the skins. They are drained thoroughly, tossed briefly to help the surface dry, and served immediately while still steaming, usually with a bowl of melted butter alongside for dipping or pouring over. What distinguishes this preparation from an ordinary boiled potato is the sheer concentration of salt in the cooking water, well past normal seasoning levels, which firms the skin into a light crust while the interior stays soft. The potatoes are eaten skin and all, generally without further seasoning beyond the butter, since the salt crust already carries most of the flavor.