You won’t be able to stop at just one, so I’m just saying, make plenty!
Potatoes, good. Baked potatoes, good. Mini baked potatoes, good. Salt Crusted mini baked potatoes, awesome!
The Benefits of the Salt Crust
Once you’ve baked potatoes this way, it will be hard to go back to the normal way of baking potatoes. Covering all the potatoes in a generous layer of salt creates an insulating layer which results in even gentle baking while keeping the moisture in the potato (or meat, or fish, or whatever is buried under the salt) Brush off most of the salt, leaving a few grains on the skin makes these flavourful from the very first bite. See this fabulous article in Saveur for more details. While the classic way involves blending an egg white into the salt to form a paste like crust, the egg isn’t really needed for this dish.
Scrub and oil the potatoes and place them into a baking dish that they will fit into in one layer without too much extra space (or else you will need to use too much salt) Preheat the oven, and pour the salt over the potatoes just before popping into the oven. Once they are baked, they can stay in the salt crust, just remove from the hot oven. Brush the salt off just before serving.
Re-Using the Salt
Yes, you can re-use the salt, as long as it didn’t get contaminated with any raw meat juices, fish scales etc, or something strong you baked in it. If you flavoured the salt in any way, it will now take on that flavour, so use accordingly.
Appetizer or Side Dish
Using mini potatoes like mini Yukon Gold, means that these potatoes can actually be served up as a really fun appetizer! A platter of these warm, salt crusted potatoes with the fluffy centres with a fabulous spiked sour cream and bacon bits, what’s not to love?!
But of course, having three or four per person, or more depending on how strong the potato love is in your family, makes for a great side dish to say a turkey or roast beef dinner. A good, tender steak, with these salt crusted baked potatoes is pretty well perfection as far as Jim is concerned.
What to Serve With These Mini Potatoes
Like I mentioned, why not ‘spike’ the sour cream before serving? In other words, mince the chives, scallions and some parsley and stir them into the sour cream. Add some dijon mustard, salt and black pepper, and you have the perfect dip for these potatoes. Store this in the fridge till needed.
Bacon bits are the other classic side, so I suggest making up a small batch of my Pepper Bacon, untwisted of course, and once patted dry and cooled slightly, crumble the rashers into small easy to manage bits to sprinkle on the potatoes and sour cream.
Final Thoughts
Seriously, making up a batch of these is seriously addictive. I can eat a small plateful while watching tv. But can you blame me? You would too. Crispy skinned fluffy baked potatoes, brilliant sour cream dip, and bacon. Addictive comfort food redefined!
This recipe is more about the method than the specific amounts. You decide how many potatoes you want to bake up, and whether they will be for an appetizer or dinner. Adjust the amount of sour cream and bacon accordingly. Thankfully the sour cream and bacon can be prepared in advance, as can the prep for the potatoes. Of course, you can use larger potatoes, just adjust the baking vessel and baking time accordingly.
Leftovers are great sliced and sautéed the next morning with eggs! Or chop coarsely and use in your favourite hash recipe. Or check out my German Farmer’s Breakfast, which would use leftover potatoes perfectly!
Enjoy these spuds!
Mini Salt Crusted Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 12-16 mini or baby Yukon Gold or yellow fleshed potatoes, See Notes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1- 1 1/2 cups coarse salt, see Notes
- rosemary sprigs, separated from two stems
- For Serving
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- soft butter
- 4 rashers bacon, sautéed, pat the excess oil away and broken into small pieces. See Notes
Sour Cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 scallions, minced
- 2 tbsp minced chives
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400F.
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Scrub and dry the potatoes. Pierce each potato with a fork in several spots. Place them in a baking dish or skillet which will hold the amount you are baking snugly in one layer. Drizzle them with the oil and then rub each potato well with the oil.
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Pour the salt evenly over all the potatoes, letting it setting in between and on top of the potatoes. Nestle the sprigs in and around the potatoes.
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Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a fork slides into a potato easily.
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Remove the potatoes from the salt crust, brushing away most of the salt. Arrange them on a plate. Scatter with chives and freshly ground pepper.
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Cut a small slit in the top of each potato, squeeze gently to open up and add a bit of butter.
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Serve with bacon bits and Sour Cream
Sour Cream, this can be made in advance and stored in the fridge till needed
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Combine the sour cream, minced scallions and chives, and mustard in a medium bowl. Taste, and then season with salt and pepper as desired.
Recipe Notes
The number of potatoes you bake will depend on how many you are serving, and when you are serving them. If they are an appetizer, count on two per person if there are other appetizer options.
As as side on a dinner plate, count on three per person or even more. Adjust the amount of sour cream accordingly. If serving as a dinner side, have butter on the table as an optional topping as well.
For extra flavour, feel free to prepare the bacon using my Pepper Bacon recipe!
Don't use expensive sea salt for this recipe. Any coarse salt will work for a salt crust. If the salt doesn't take on any unpleasant flavours, raw meat juices, fish scales etc, feel free to use it again.
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