Friday, November 5, 2010

Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme & Butter: Salty and delicious!

When I first came across the recipe for Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme & Butter (click for the recipe) in Fine Cooking magazine, I was intrigued because I’d never heard of this type of potato before.
   I went on a search, and found them in one local supermarket.
   Fingerling potatoes are short and stubby, and look a bit like really chubby fingers.
   And in this terrific dish, they’re absolutely divine.
   Though there is less than a teaspoon of salt in the recipe, the resulting potatoes taste salty and delicious, with the fresh thyme offering a light complimentary flavour.
   Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Thyme & Butter are easy to make, though they need to simmer for quite a while.
   Fingerling potatoes (you don’t need to peel them!) are arranged in a single layer in a skillet, and thyme sprigs are tucked between them. Three pieces of unsalted butter, salt, and some pepper are added to the potatoes.
   Water is poured over the potatoes – just enough to almost cover them. The skillet is partially covered, and the potatoes brought to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Be patient during this step, because it can take 15 to 20 minutes to get it to a nice simmer.
   Once a simmering point is reached, simmering continues for another 25 minutes.
   The potatoes are transferred to a serving dish, and the heat is increased to high to boil the remaining liquid until it’s reduced to a buttery glaze. "Buttery glaze" are absolutely key descriptive words: You want it to be past the watery stage.
   More butter is added if desired, and then the glaze is poured over the potatoes.
   Serve immediately.



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1 comment:

Lyndsay Wells said...

I love fingerling potatoes. This seems like an amazing way to prepare them. Mind you, you had me at buttery glaze.