A cook’s year NEW POTATOES
These tender young tubers figure high on Gill Meller’s best-seasonal-eating scale, and his simple salad demonstrates how fantastic new potatoes can taste
RECIPE, FOOD STYLING AND STYLING GILL MELLER
PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY
Freshly dug new potatoes, boiled, buttered and hot, are far and away the most delightful things to eat in June. The trick is to cook them as soon as possible after they come out of the earth. If you can’t grow your own, buy them from a local veg grower or farm shop – they might have been dug in the last day or so, which is perfect (and don’t be afraid to ask).
Look for thin-skinned, earth-covered spuds – a bit of dirt can help keep them moist and fresh. When you get them home, wash them well, giving the spuds a gentle scrub to remove stubborn dirt and looser bits of skin. There’s no need to peel them, as there is so much flavour just below the skin. If they’re small, keep them whole – they’ll retain more flavour.