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(368)
Notes: Read community notes

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

Learn: How to Cook Potatoes

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

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

368 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

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

Cooking Notes

L.G.6 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 Brest6 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 Moskin6 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.

Jo L.6 years ago

Easy and delicious. Any kind of mint will do, but be sure to tear the leaves into little pieces, or the mint stays in the pot, not on the potatoes.

Richard DiLallo6 years ago

I just made this. A few very small observations:
This is a pretty intriguing combination. I sort of undermined it by using junky potatoes from Trader Joe's. This is definitely one of those "the better the ingredients, etc." My stupidity.

Yes, the five-finger pinch is a little precious. However, it unclearly means to grab a bunch of mint leaves with five fingers of one hand. I'd say, oh, about ten leaves.

The torn leaves, I assume, get tossed in at the end. The lemon helps everything.

Harriet6 years ago

I missed the note about black mint. Was there supposed to be a note? I made this twice with two different types of mint that just looked the freshest at the farmer's market. It was stupendous both times. I agree the instructions are a little fuzzy, but it didn't matter at all.

Malcolm Kates6 years ago

The type of mint is critical in this dish. Use black mint (as suggested), avoid spearmint. Learned this the hard way.

Karen L Davis6 years ago

Without the mint or lemon, it's just plain old small potatoes with garlic. Nothing new or interesting about that.

Elena6 years ago

I'm so in love of this receipe! Easy to cook and delicious!!

Sarah N.2 months ago

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

Vicki3 months 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.

Susanna1 year ago

This combination of flavors was surprisingly good. The lemon and mint were unexpected, but then I realized that they are paired often in Greek recipes. This is such a simple preparation for a side of potatoes, but it's delicious!

Susanna2 years ago

This is a startling recipe. A sleeper. It looks so unassuming, but when you have the combo of butter and salt and mint (5 fingers worth has turned out fine every time my fingers have interpreted it) and lemon with those earthy potatoes …. This side dish threatens to outshine my star recipe every time. I find myself sneaking potatoes out of the buttery pot and thinking of childhood (every kind will do, just be sure not to over cook during the first boil… but even if you do it’s fine)

Bert5 years ago

OUTSTANDING! Creamy, buttery, yummy...

Maximum6 years ago

Using this a basis for things from the farmers market. I substituted Huacatay for the mint, champagne vinegar for the lemon, and added English peas. My wife seems very happy.

Jen6 years ago

it’s foul, don’t make this recipe. very awkward getting a lint aftertaste after eating garlic potatoes. don’t trust the positive reviews.

shore cook6 years ago

Made this tonight as written and it was delicious. The garlic, lemon and mint (I used peppermint since that is what I had) made this dish outstanding.

Naani-Daadi6 years ago

Thanks I have cooked this. Except, after partially parboiling, I cut the baby potatoes in half. And I prefer to use herbs like oregano, and chives and or scallions. Just everyone's preference. Baby multi-colored make a quick and easy dish! Slide under the broiler with a nice cut of firm fish, sprinkle it all with olive oil. (Place the herbs under the fish). Watch closely for approx. five minutes!

bluerroses6 years ago

Melt in your mouth delicious! The exact nature and size of a five finger pinch and whether you use Maldon or kosher salt is is unimportant. take matters into your own hands and inprovise!

Sue6 years ago

How about steaming the potatoes instead of boiling? They are small enough and retain more nutrients, correct?

Rachel Fordyce6 years ago

What else is included with the potatoes in the picture?

Marilyn6 years ago

what are those black or purple egg-like veggies? beets?, large olives. ah ha purple potatoes!?

Elena6 years ago

I'm so in love of this receipe! Easy to cook and delicious!!

Julia Moskin6 years ago

Private notes are only visible to you.