Boiled New Potatoes Recipe

Wash and sort

Rinse the new potatoes under cold running water to remove dirt. Use a vegetable brush for any stubborn soil. Sort and discard any potatoes that are very soft or blemished. If potatoes vary widely in size, cut the larger ones in half so pieces are roughly equal for even cooking.

Leave the skins on — new potatoes are best boiled with their skins to preserve texture and nutrients.

Set up pot

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or pot in a single layer. Add cold water until the potatoes are covered by about 1–2 cm (roughly 3/4–1 inch). Add the salt to the water and give it a gentle stir.

Bring to a simmer

Put the pot over medium-high heat and bring the water to a gentle boil. As soon as it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer (small bubbling) to prevent the skins from splitting.

Cook until tender

Simmer the potatoes, uncovered, for 10–20 minutes depending on size. Check for doneness after 10 minutes by piercing the largest potato with a paring knife or fork: it should meet little resistance and slide off easily. Smaller potatoes will take closer to 10–12 minutes; medium baby potatoes about 15–18 minutes.

Drain

When tender, drain the potatoes in a colander and shake gently to rough up the skins slightly — this helps them absorb finishing flavors.

Toss with butter

Return the hot drained potatoes to the warm pot or a mixing bowl. Add the unsalted butter and gently toss so the butter melts and coats the potatoes evenly. The residual heat will melt the butter without needing to return to the stove.

Season and garnish

Add the chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and sprinkle the optional coarse sea salt if desired. Toss gently to combine.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately while warm. Leftovers can be chilled and used later in potato salads or lightly warmed.