Buttered New Potatoes with Fresh Mint
Tender new potatoes boiled until creamy inside, then tossed with melting butter and bright fresh mint. A simple, elegant side that pairs with nearly any main course and takes just 20 minutes from start to table.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Wait
- 3 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 1 cup per serving)
Steps
Before you start
- Scrub potatoes under cold water and pat dry
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil before you start prep
- Pick fresh mint leaves just before cooking—they bruise easily
Boil the water
- Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Add 2 tbsp (30 g) salt—the water should taste like seawater.
- This ensures the potatoes season from the inside out.
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Ready when: Large rolling bubbles breaking the surface steadily
Tip: Don't skip salting the boiling water; it's your best chance to flavor the potatoes evenly throughout.
Add potatoes and simmer
- Carefully add the prepared potato pieces to the boiling water.
- Stir once so they don't stick to the bottom.
- Return to a steady simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, until a fork pierces the largest piece with almost no resistance.
- The skin should not split.
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Ready when: A fork goes through the center with just a whisper of firmness; no raw center
Tip: Overcooking turns them mushy; start testing at 10 minutes. The potato will continue to cook slightly as it drains.
Drain and rest
- Pour the potatoes into a colander and let them sit for 1 minute to release steam and allow surface moisture to evaporate slightly.
- Do not rinse them—you want the starch on the surface to help the butter cling.
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Ready when: Steam has mostly cleared, potatoes look dry on the surface
Tip: Rinsing removes the protective starch and prevents the butter from coating the potatoes evenly.
Toss with butter and mint
- Return the warm potatoes to the pot off the heat.
- Add the 4 pieces of room-temperature butter and gently fold with a wooden spoon or spatula until the butter melts and coats every piece, about 1 minute.
- Add the torn fresh mint and fold gently once or twice until evenly distributed.
- The residual heat will wilt the mint slightly while keeping it bright and fragrant.
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Ready when: Butter is melted and coats the potatoes; mint is folded in and slightly softened
Tip: Do not overmix or the potatoes will break apart. Fold gently two or three times and stop.
Season and serve
- Taste a potato.
- Add a small pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper if desired.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm, within 5 minutes, while the butter is still glossy and the mint flavor is at its peak.
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Tip: New potatoes are naturally sweet and buttery; overseasoning masks their delicate flavor. Taste before you add more salt.
Good to know
Tips
- New potatoes have a thinner, more delicate skin than storage potatoes and cook faster—don't walk away from the pot once they're boiling.
- Cold or room-temperature butter folded into warm potatoes melts evenly and coats them silkily without clumping.
- Mint bruises easily; tear or roughly chop it by hand rather than with a knife if you have time.
- This dish is best served immediately after assembly. If you need to hold it, keep it warm in a covered pot for no more than 10 minutes; the mint flavor will begin to fade and the butter will become heavy.
Storage & reheating
Cover leftover potatoes loosely with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring occasionally, until just warmed through (about 5 minutes). Fresh mint's flavor fades once cooked, so add a small pinch of fresh mint if you're reheating.
Substitutions
- fresh mint leaves → fresh parsley (flat-leaf or curly) or fresh chives. Parsley adds a lighter herbaceous note; chives contribute a subtle onion flavor. Use the same quantity. Add at the end as you would the mint.
- unsalted butter → salted butter. Reduce or omit the salt added at the end of cooking, tasting as you go. Salted butter will add 0.5–1 g of salt per tablespoon.
- new potatoes, unpeeled → fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes. Slightly longer cooking time (13–15 minutes) may be needed depending on size. Cook until the largest piece is fork-tender with no resistance.
