As with most root vegetables, we often conceive of potatoes as having no season, and we imagine that they must be Irish. They just always seem to be there whenever we want them. It may surprise some readers to know that we are a net importer of spuds; that is to say, we don’t grow enough here to feed ourselves anymore.
Yet, nothing says early summer better than new potatoes. These slightly earth soiled tubers with their silky skin bear no comparison to their autumn equivalents. The reason for their dense and buttery nature is due to their higher moisture content. They are also slightly sweeter due to the fact that the latent sugar has not yet turned into starch.
As the season moves on, potatoes become more floury and starchier. What this means is that new-season potatoes are better boiled and served with melted butter, or in a salad, and the older ones are better for mash and chips. In a way, this makes sense: new-season potatoes lend themselves to warmer weather and therefore lighter dishes. Think of other things in season, such as asparagus and crab. These work wonderfully with new-season potatoes.
Legendary British chef Shaun Hill roasts his new-season potatoes with garlic, rosemary and lemon thyme, and pairs them with grilled sardines and salsa verde. Lemon thyme has a beautiful floral acidity.
How to cook new-season potatoes with seaweed butter
My own favourite way to cook new potatoes is to boil them softly in salted water (or sea water if available), until tender, and then make a seaweed butter sauce. To make the sauce, melt 200g of butter in a pot and add 100ml of the potato water with a one teaspoon of milled dillisk.
Whisk the sauce until it is emulsified, or you can blend with an immersion blender if you want a smoother, silkier sauce. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and finish with a little more milled seaweed.
