AMAZING Salt Potatoes

This is the simplest but most rewarding way to cook potatoes. There are just three ingredients: potato, salt and water and no special equipment needed. But the proof is in the eating! These potatoes will be fluffy and creamy on the inside and perfectly salted on the outside. Although simple, this is a pushy recipe Dear Reader that you've got to try at least once!

Pinky swear: this is one of the best and most rewarding basic recipes on my blog and I hope you'll give these a go if only just once. It's not fancy but I feel like everyone should definitely keep this method up your sleeve. The key to this recipe is dry boiling potatoes until there is no liquid left so it could not be simpler.

I remember seeing this on Marissa's Instagram account a few weeks ago and I was totally intrigued by that beautiful salt crust. With my veggie box I never know what variety I get each fortnight and when a bag of baby kipflers arrived I knew that I had to give her salt potatoes a go!

Which potatoes are best for salt potatoes? Kipfler or fingerling potatoes are great for this but also regular chats or baby chats work well. You may want to avoid doing this with big potatoes. This is definitely a recipe where small potatoes work best.

This salt potato recipe works with a larger quantity of potatoes too and you can easily double or triple this. Just make sure you have a pan that fits them snugly so that the potatoes are mostly submerged in the water.

Serve this with: a simple steak or you can use these as a delicious crudite on a platter where you dip vegetables into dips or sauces!

A few people have asked me what it's like having Mr NQN at home so much due to COVID-19 in our small 2 bedroom apartment. It's actually fine and I get to borrow him to hold food for me in photos because some food really looks so nice when it's held in hands. Also I hardly see him as he spends a lot of time on Zoom meetings. On the day I made these salt potatoes I was waiting for him to finish his call and was ready to pounce like a cat.

"So a lot happened while you were on that hour long Zoom call! Also please hold his bowl of potatoes!" I said shoving the potatoes in his hands and moving him to a neutral coloured wall. He's very calm and agreeable and well, used to me so he stood holding the potatoes.

"So it turns out that wasn't Laura's beanie. It was Monica's! And Laura's friend cancelled on her! And Ivy is coming over soon," I said breathlessly recapping him in 1 minute on my life status (I suspect if quizzed, he would have no memory of any of my update). I blame my second cup of tea but after a few minutes he was back on another call and I was eating salt potatoes.

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried salt potatoes?

Salt Potatoes

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott, adapted from Pinch & Swirl

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 500g/1.1lb kipfler or baby chat potatoes (I used baby kipflers)
• 1/2 tablespoon flaked or fine salt
• 500ml/17flozs. hot water

Step 1 - Wash and scrub the potatoes clean but do not peel them. Place in a saucepan so that they fit relatively snugly (you can see mine weren't that snug). Add salt to hot water and stir to dissolve and pour over the potatoes. Place the lid on and bring to a boil. Remove lid and cook at a rapid boil for 30 minutes (just watch the pan in the last 10 minutes to make sure that the pan doesn't run too dry).

Step 2 - Reduce heat to low once the water has evaporated and toss the potatoes in the salt crusted pan so that they are coated in the salt. Serve with butter and parsley.