New potatoes are not simply little fancy potatoes; they are actually potatoes dug and harvested before they are fully mature. If you scrape a potato with your nail and the skin comes right off, you have a new potato in your hands. When we grow potatoes at home, we are so excited about eating them that we end up consuming all new potatoes and no mature ones. What makes a new potato different from your average one is that it has a creaminess and delicate flavor you won’t find in a mature potato and it should be used within a few days. I tend to boil or steam new potatoes, since gentle cooking keeps the texture really creamy and gives the flavor a chance to come through. I love them with a good herby sauce like this one, as the punchiness of the anchovies and capers really enhances the flavor of the potato. (Of course, if you’ve got more mature potatoes, this sauce will do nicely for them, too.) This recipe is good at any temperature, but I like it best slightly warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds new potatoes, peeled or not, cut into 1½-inch chunks
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (1 clove)
- 5 anchovies, rinsed and finely minced
- 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Put the potatoes in a large stockpot and cover them with several inches of cold water. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the pot, cover it, and bring the water and potatoes to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high, uncover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are tender when stabbed with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
- While the potatoes cook, make the salsa verde. Combine the basil, parsley, garlic, anchovies, and capers in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil.
- Add the potatoes to the sauce, tossing to coat them. Season with salt.
