Equipment
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 600 g baby yellow potatoes, whole, washed
- 75 g fine sea salt
Garlic Herb Sauce
- 30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed, leaves and tender stems
- 3 garlic, peeled cloves
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 235 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 25 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 538 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 664 mg
- Calcium
- 30 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems on a cutting board using a chef knife.
Add the chopped parsley, peeled garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and 2 grams of the fine sea salt into an immersion blender beaker. Blend on high speed for 45 to 60 seconds until a smooth, vibrant green emulsion forms, then pour the sauce into a small serving bowl.
Place the whole, unpeeled baby yellow potatoes into a medium saucepan and pour in enough cold water to just barely cover them by 1 centimeter. Add the remaining 73 grams of fine sea salt and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat at 100°C (212°F).
Lower the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes until completely tender throughout.
Pour the contents of the medium saucepan into a colander placed in the sink to drain all the cooking water away from the potatoes.
Return the drained potatoes immediately to the empty medium saucepan set over low heat at 90°C (194°F). Shake the pan continuously back and forth for 2 to 3 minutes until surface steam dissipates, the potato skins wrinkle, and a fine, frosty white salt crust covers every potato.
Transfer the hot, salt-crusted baby potatoes onto a serving platter and place the small serving bowl of garlic herb sauce alongside for dipping.
Chef's Notes
- The dense salt concentration in the boiling water raises the boiling point and pulls excess moisture out of the potato skins via osmosis, yielding an ultra-creamy, concentrated interior texture.
- Do not peel or puncture the potatoes; whole, unbroken skins are essential to act as a barrier so the interior stays tender and sweet while the exterior develops its signature crust.
- Shake the pot constantly during the drying phase; agitation ensures the evaporating brine leaves an even, crystalline film over the entire skin surface instead of a localized dry patch.
- The raw garlic flavor mellows slightly when blended directly into the olive oil, but for a milder bite you can briefly blanch the peeled cloves in boiling water for 30 seconds before blending.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Refrigerate potatoes and herb sauce in separate airtight containers within two hours of cooking.
Reheating: Reheat leftover potatoes in a dry skillet over medium heat or in an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) until warmed through to a minimum internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Serve the garlic herb sauce chilled or brought to room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Salt crust fails to crystallize and potatoes remain moist
Cause: Saucepan heat was too low or pan was taken off the heat before surface moisture fully evaporated
Fix: Return the pan to low heat and shake continuously for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until white crystals recrystallize
Prevention: Maintain low heat under the pan and keep tossing until all visible steam ceases
Potatoes taste overwhelmingly salty on the inside
Cause: Potato skins were pierced, cut, or split during boiling, allowing the concentrated brine to soak into the interior
Fix: Cannot be fixed for penetrated tubers; brush away excess exterior crust before eating
Prevention: Ensure potatoes have completely intact skins with no knife cuts, and simmer gently rather than boiling violently
Garlic herb dipping sauce splits into pooled oil and herb sludge
Cause: Blending container was too wide, preventing a proper vortex from shearing the garlic and oil into an emulsion
Fix: Add 5 ml of ice-cold water and blend on high speed for 15 seconds to re-emulsify the mixture
Prevention: Use a tall, narrow beaker matched closely to the diameter of your immersion blender head
Cultural Context
This recipe draws direct inspiration from papas arrugadas served alongside mojo verde in the Canary Islands of Spain. Historically, local islanders boiled native unpeeled potatoes in concentrated ocean brine until the water evaporated, leaving wrinkled tubers coated in sea salt crystals that beautifully complement pungent garlic herb sauces.
