How to Cook New Potatoes

New potatoes are potatoes that are harvested when they're still very young, before their sugar content has converted to starch. They're small with thin skins, and their flesh is smooth and creamy when cooked. New potatoes taste best when they're roasted or boiled, rather than fried. This article provides three methods for cooking new potatoes: pan-roasted, boiled, and crushed.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Pan-Roasted New Potatoes

  1. Image titled Cook New Potatoes Step 6
    1
    Gather your ingredients. You'll need the following ingredients to make delicious pan-roasted new potatoes:
    • 1 pound new potatoes
    • 2 Tablespoons butter
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
    • Salt and pepper
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    2
    Prepare the potatoes for roasting. Wash the potatoes with cold water, taking care to scrub off dirt and other debris. Cut each potato into bite sized pieces; for small potatoes, cutting each one in half should be sufficient.
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    Place the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Allow the butter and oil to melt together.
    • Cast iron cookware is ideal for pan-roasting potatoes; since it retains heat so well without getting too hot, it creates a crispy outer crust on the potatoes.
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    4
    Place the potatoes cut side down into the pan. Cook until the potatoes are brown and crispy, about five minutes. Turn the potatoes so that each side gets brown.
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    5
    Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Use tongs or a wooden spoon to toss the potatoes a bit, making sure they are covered on all sides with seasoning.
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    Cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow the potatoes to cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
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    Remove the potatoes from the pan. Serve as a side dish to accompany chicken, fish, or steak, or toss with arugula to make a salad.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Boiled New Potatoes

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    1
    Gather your ingredients. You'll need the following ingredients to make simple boiled new potatoes:
    • 1 pound new potatoes
    • Butter, for serving
    • Salt and pepper, for serving
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    2
    Wash the potatoes. Scrub off any dirt, and cut off bruised or pitted parts.
  3. 3
    Place the potatoes in a large pot. Set the pot under the faucet in your sink and add water to completely cover the potatoes.
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    Cover the pot with a lid and place on the stove. Turn the burner to medium high.
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    Bring the potatoes to a boil. Lower the temperature and cook on medium low for about fifteen minutes. The potatoes are finished cooking when they are tender when pierced with a fork.
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    6
    Strain the water from the pot. Pour the potatoes into a colander, or use the pot's lid to strain the water from the pot over the sink.
    • If you want to peel the potato, start by peeling the center where you drew a line before boiling it. Once you start peeling from the center, the skin automatically comes away.
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    Place the potatoes in a bowl. Toss with pieces of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Crushed New Potatoes

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    1
    Gather your ingredients. You'll need the following ingredients to make crushed new potatoes:
    • 1 pound new potatoes
    • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
    • Salt and pepper
    • Optional spices, butter and grated cheese
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    2
    Wash the potatoes. Scrub off any dirt, and cut off bruised or pitted parts.
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    3
    Place the potatoes in a pot. Place the pot under the faucet in your sink and add water to completely cover the potatoes.
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    Bring the potatoes to a boil. Lower the temperature and cook on medium low until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
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    While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
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    Pour the cooked potatoes into a colander. Drain them well.
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    Place the potatoes on the baking sheet. Arrange them so that none of them are touching. If the baking sheet gets too full, oil a second sheet.
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    Use a potato masher to crush each potato. Don't completely mash them, just crush them from above so that the inside of the potato is exposed.
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    Drizzle each potato with olive oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
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    Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. They're ready when they've turned a rich, golden brown.
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    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    My recipe asks for banding the new potatoes. What does this mean?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Banding refers to peeling one circle around the middle of the new potato. It is done to prevent the potato from splitting when boiled or otherwise cooked whole in the skin. This can easily be done using a canelle knife run around the middle in one swift motion. It looks fancy too, when the new potatoes are all done the same way.
  • Question
    Are new potatoes good for chips?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Not really, they're too young and fresh and will contain too much moisture. The best potatoes for making chips are old, floury ones as they have a high starch content and not much moisture. They work okay cut into halves and roasted though, which is a better use for them than chips.
  • Question
    Can I steam new potatoes?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Yes, new potatoes can be steamed. Use a steamer pot, add a little water to the base and bring to the boil. Add the washed new potatoes to the steamer saucepan and place on top the base saucepan, adding the lid last. Depending on size, they'll steam in about 10 to 15 minutes.
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Things You'll Need

  • Scrub brush
  • Skillet
  • Pot with lid
  • Baking sheet
  • Aluminum foil (optional)

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References

  1. http://www.ochef.com/1014.htm
  2. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1850,144169-239193,00.html

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 224,517 times.
17 votes - 89%
Co-authors: 14
Updated: November 28, 2022
Views: 224,517
Categories: Potato Dishes
Article SummaryX

To cook new potatoes on a stovetop, start by cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Next, heat oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat, and then place the potatoes cut-side down in the pan. Once you've added all of the potatoes, season them with salt, pepper, and dried herbs before covering the pan with a lid. Finally, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes or until they're tender. To learn how to boil new potatoes, scroll down!

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