Potatoes are dressed with a smooth rich crème fraîche sauce with fresh chopped herbs and a bit of grated lemon zest.
Potatoes aren't new, they aren't trendy, and they don’t garner much attention. The humble little potato as it’s often referred to is the soft-spoken cast member of the "vegetable play," playing the supporting role but never the star. It’s relegated to side dishes where it’s mashed beyond recognition, stuffed with loads of cheese, butter and vegetables or drowned out by bolder flavors in a myriad of other preparations.
One of the most omnipresent and abundant of vegetables, the potato is the essence of simplicity. Which leads me to ask - why is something so splendidly simple not enough? Why drown the potato in things that will mask its true flavor?
If you have good potatoes, like creamy little new potatoes or fingerling potatoes, sometimes the best way to eat them is to steam or boil them and serve them simply.
Growing up, my family would make a meal of potatoes. We would boil small new potatoes in their skins and serve them with butter and parsley or crème fraîche and chives, and if we were feeling particularly indulgent, maybe a little grated Parmesan. There's a great sense of pleasure in the known and anticipated taste of preparing potatoes in this manner that I urge you not to dismiss it because of its simplicity.
The French call potatoes prepared in this manner “pommes de terre en robe des champs,” which refers to potatoes prepared with their skins on, but literally translates to “potatoes in a dress of the fields.” It’s also sometimes referred to as “pommes de terre en robe de chambre” which is most likely a perversion of the first saying but one I find quite charming as it translates to “potatoes in their bathrobes” which I think is a lovely way to describe potatoes.
Oddly enough, although they are prepared and served with the skin on, the French don’t eat the skins and will slip them off before consuming the potatoes. I offer this recipe in the spirit of elevating the overlooked to a more prominent role. Warm creamy potatoes are dressed with smooth rich crème fraîche, fresh chopped herbs and lightly perfumed with a bit of grated lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Potatoes With Crème Fraîche Sauce
Potatoes are dressed with a smooth rich crème fraîche sauce with fresh chopped herbs and a bit of grated lemon zest.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds/1kg small new potatoes or small fingerling potatoes, washed and well scrubbed
- ¼ cup/56g crème fraîche
- 1 TB/15ml fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 TB/15ml olive oil
- 1 TB minced chives
- 1 TB finely chopped parsley leaves
- Fleur de sel, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending on their size (test doneness with a fork).
- When the potatoes are done, drain all the water and let them sit in the pot for five minutes to steam and dry.
- Whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, parsley and chives in a small bowl until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss potatoes with the crème fraiche mixture and serve warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 18mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Zita says
My kind of food! Yum!
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction says
What a beautiful dish... As always, your photos are incredible!
Karen says
Lovely spring recipe! Potatoes are so versatile and fun to cook with.
marla says
I am with you, sometimes the most simple preparations are the best. I want to be able to taste food with few bells & whistles. I will go check out your guest post for the recipe 🙂
Cristina says
I'm with you, Sylvie, about the potato skins. =) Sometimes I forget potatoes are a vegetable - I just enjoy 'em so much =) Also, potatoes are high in potassium! Very beautiful post.
@yumivore says
Sylvie, your photos alone transform simple potatoes into glamorous pommes de terre en robe de chambre - magnifique!
Liren says
I simply adore the idea of potatoes in their bathrobes! And I completely agree that simple is best, especially when the produce is at their freshest. The photographs are just jaw-dropping - I just love how you can elevate the humble potato with your photography 🙂
Robyn | Add a Pinch says
I love potato skins, too. And you are absolutely right - we do overcook them way too often, don't we? Your photographs just always have me drooling!
Nina says
Ohhh Sylvie...stunning. What a lovely guest post...and gorgeous photos (as always)...I would not turn down potatoes with crème fraîche!
Soma says
your post and the simplicity of the dish reminds me of the time when we were little and I would carry a bag of potatoes and my dad and me would go to a brick kiln. there would be one spot there for people to come and roast there potatoes (skin on) in the kiln by the place were the bricks were cooked. Ah! the simple pleasures to eat those tender perfectly roasted potatoes with only coarse salt.. I should do a post on that 🙂 Sylvie thanks for inspiring those memories.
Sylvie says
Yes, please do. I would love to read it.