New Potatoes

Best Potato Varieties

• Maris Bard
• Premiere
• Rocket

Recommended Serving

175g (6oz) potatoes per person

Preparation

Buy new potatoes as you need them so they are as fresh as possible, giving you the best flavour. New potatoes are delicious cooked in their skins, so simply scrub them gently to remove dirt and any loose skin before cooking.

Hob Method

Place the potatoes, halved if necessary, in a pan and cover with the minimum of boiling water. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for approximately 15-20 minutes, until just tender. Once cooked, drain immediately. New potatoes are rich in vitamin C, which dissolves into the water if the potatoes are left in it.

Serving Suggestion

These potatoes are delicious on their own or served with a knob of butter, chopped fresh mint or chives.

Tip

Add a dash of lemon juice to the cooking water to help preserve the colour of the new potatoes.

Microwave Method

Prepare 450g (1lb) of potatoes as above, then place in a microwaveable dish with 30ml (2 tblspn) of water.  Cover and cook on full power (800w) for 7-8 minutes. Allow to stand for 1-2 minutes before serving.

Beautiful with Butter

One of the wonderful things about British new potatoes is that they are not only delicious but low in fat so you can add a little butter to your new potatoes with a clear conscience!
Simply prepare the potatoes according to the classic method on the "How to Cook the Best: New Potatoes" page and serve with one or more of the flavoured butters shown below.

Citrus Butter:

25g (1oz) Softened English butter mixed with the zest of an orange and _ a lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Herb Butter:

25g (1oz) Softened English butter mixed with 2 x 15ml spn (2 tblspn) finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint or chives and salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto Butter:

25g (1oz) Softened English butter mixed with 1 x 5ml spn (1 tspn) red pesto and salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Butter:

25g (1oz) Softened English butter mixed with 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Tell us what you think...

Your Name:

Your email address:

I like this

Your comment: (optional)

Captcha

• ben cells 28/01/2010 10:29am (12 days ago)

  thats a bit over, its a good recipe

• ben 28/01/2010 10:27am (12 days ago)

  very nice

• Laura 16/09/2009 4:04pm (5 months ago)

  Thank you! you saved me

• Potato Council 30/07/2009 4:59pm (6 months ago)

  Hello Barbara,
  
  We'd recommend just gently rubbing away the dirt under a cold tap for potatoes with delicate skins like yours, scrubbing might've weakened the skins? Very fresh new potatoes don't take long to cook and they might be ready in under 10 minutes - how long were they boiling for?

• Barbara 30/07/2009 11:17am (6 months ago)

  We dug up some international kidney/jersey royals from our allotment yesterday. Really looking forward to these waxy potatoes. Scrubbed them clean put in cold water - no salt - brought to the boil and the skins started to come away and they were mushy. Help!

• Potato Council 29/07/2009 11:05am (6 months ago)

  Hello Robin,
  
  Congratulations on your harvest! Suttons Foremost are a waxy variety ideal for boiling and adding to salads. If your potatoes are too soft after cooking, try boiling them for a shorter time and checking them during cooking.
  
  A good test is to spear the potatoes in the pan with a sharp knife, if they fall off the end of the knife, they're ready! If the potatoes are whole, test them after 10 minutes, if you're cutting them into pieces test them after just 5 minutes.

• Robin Scutt 27/07/2009 11:56am (7 months ago)

  I have grown Sutton Foremost this year and cannot prevent them going mashey when boiling.

• new potatoes are delicious likes this 24/07/2009 5:34pm (7 months ago)

  Thing i found with microwaving, having only a microwave to cook with. Is that new and more so with old potatoes need a cut, piercing or cut in half/quarters. Or they cook and whistle away, not sure if they can explode. Maybe enough to do damage with old potatoes.
  
  New potatoes with margarine and mint, even to eat in a toast sandwich yum.

• Potato Council 16/07/2009 3:13pm (7 months ago)

  Hi Jean,
  
  Yes the pesto butter is delicious and we really like your serving suggestion of sprinkling sesame seeds over the potatoes, to add another taste and texture! You can use the butters above in addition to olive oil on your roast potatoes too. We love the Herb or Garlic Butter smeared over the roasties before you put them in the oven - though don't forget the olive oil too as it stops the butter burning.

• jean alderton menz 10/07/2009 2:51pm (7 months ago)

  I like the sound of the pesto butter. I often sprinkle new potatoes with toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped parsley, after melting a bit of butter with them.

More How to Cook the Best

Next Mashed Potato
Previous Boiled Potatoes