Salt-Pack Pertaiters Recipe
From:
The Big Book of Barbecue Sides
, by
Rick Browne
Makes:
6 to 8 servings
This is an easy way to cook delicious spuds. The little guys come out all wrinkly, like a baby’s skin after a bath, but they’re tender, and the salt adds a nice flavor that (surprise) is not salty!
Tip: If your casserole dish or Dutch oven is 4 inches deep or more, you can do this in two layers. Just add more salt and more potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 to 2 pounds small red potatoes
- 4 to 6 cups kosher or sea salt (or a mix), plus more as needed
- Sour cream, to serve
- Salmon roe (eggs) or caviar, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven or grill to 400°F.
- Spread a 1/2-inch layer of salt in a Dutch oven or heavy, 2-quart casserole dish. Place the potatoes on the salt and completely cover them with more salt so they are covered by at least 1/2 inch.
- Place the pot in the oven and cook for about an hour, or until the potatoes are tender all the way through. Poke a knife through the salt, deep into the potatoes, to check for doneness.
- Dump the potatoes and salt onto a large baking sheet, remove the potatoes, and save the salt to use in this dish again.
- Cut the cooked potatoes in half lengthwise and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a teaspoon of salmon roe, or caviar if you’ve just won the lottery. Serve hot.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.
I did this in a crock-pot to take to work one night! Worked well, one nurse wouldn't eat the 'taters though,,,,she thought they would absorb the salt.
4) Four to six cups of salt may be an underestimate, depending on the size and shape of your cookwear. To cook 12 small red potatoes in a Le Crueset 12"x8" roasting pan took two one pound boxes of kosher salt. I also added another half a cup of sea salt to ensure an even 1/2" of salt on top of all the tubers.
I made this recipe exactly as described. It was easy to do and tasted great. My comments:
1) It should be noted that the baked salt forms a crust in many areas that is quite difficult to penetrate for purposes of testing doneness.
2) While a salty flavor is not imparted onto the potatoes, quite a bit of salt does tend to stick to the potatoes. These flakes can be carefully dusted off, but doing...+READ
I made this recipe exactly as described. It was easy to do and tasted great. My comments:
1) It should be noted that the baked salt forms a crust in many areas that is quite difficult to penetrate for purposes of testing doneness.
2) While a salty flavor is not imparted onto the potatoes, quite a bit of salt does tend to stick to the potatoes. These flakes can be carefully dusted off, but doing so is difficult if you want to serve the potatoes piping hot.
3) While the leftover salt does seem fine for reuse, the crusty bits are a little dirty as a result of the water extruded from the potatoes. I thought that these crusty bits were best discarded.-COLLAPSE