Chef Joost
Aardappelgratin
A French name, a Dutch potato, and a Sunday table: aardappelgratin is what happens when a frugal kitchen borrows richness and behaves as if it had always belonged.
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Krieltjes met Kruidenboter
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The little new potatoes of early summer, boiled in their skins and turned through herb butter, proving that the Dutch table often keeps its best secrets beside the main dish.
Side Dishes
Dutch
Weeknight
Outdoor Dining
BBQ
15 min
Active Time
18 min cook•33 min total
Yield4 servings
The first potatoes of summer never arrived in my grandmother's kitchen with ceremony. They came in a paper bag, still dusty, small enough to fit three in a child's palm, and she treated them with the respect usually wasted on grander ingredients. No peeling. No carving. Just water, salt, butter, and herbs cut with scissors over the bowl.
The name already tells you the method, if you listen. Krieltjes are the little ones, from kriel, the Dutch word for something small or undersized, and the diminutive -tje makes them smaller still, almost affectionate. But let me tell you a secret: these are not failed potatoes. They are potatoes caught young, with skins so thin they are part of the pleasure, and flesh sweet enough that too much fuss would be bad manners.
This is weeknight food, yes, but it is also garden-table food, barbecue food, the bowl everyone reaches for while pretending to discuss the sausages. The trick is not the butter, though the butter helps. The trick is to boil the potatoes gently, let them dry for a minute so the skins can drink, then toss while they are still warm enough to pull the herbs and garlic into the butter. Hou het altijd simpel, always keep it simple. The little potatoes already know what they are doing.
Potatoes became a staple crop in the Netherlands in the eighteenth century, spreading quickly through sandy and clay soils where grain was less reliable, and by the nineteenth century they were central to everyday Dutch meals. Krieltjes traditionally referred to very small potatoes sorted from the harvest, often eaten in early summer when new potatoes had thin skins and a sweeter, waxy texture. Serving them with butter and garden herbs belongs to the practical Dutch kitchen garden tradition: parsley, chives, and a little garlic turn a humble side dish into the seasonal marker that says the new crop has arrived.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
krieltjes or small new potatoes
Quantity
800g
scrubbed but unpeeled
fine sea salt for the cooking water
Quantity
1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
Quantity
75g
softened
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely chopped
fresh chives
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely snipped
garlic clove
Quantity
1 small
finely grated or crushed
lemon zest
Quantity
1 teaspoon
lemon juice
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| krieltjes or small new potatoesscrubbed but unpeeled | 800g |
| fine sea salt for the cooking water | 1 tablespoon |
| unsalted buttersoftened | 75g |
| flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh chivesfinely snipped | 2 tablespoons |
| garlic clovefinely grated or crushed | 1 small |
| lemon zest | 1 teaspoon |
| lemon juice | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea saltplus more to taste | 1/2 teaspoon |
| freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Medium saucepan with lid
- •Small bowl for the herb butter
- •Sharp knife for testing doneness
Instructions
- 1
Scrub the potatoes
Scrub the krieltjes under cold water, but don't peel them. The skins are thin, tender, and full of that new-harvest earthiness. If some potatoes are twice the size of the others, cut only those in half so everything cooks together.
- 2
Boil gently
Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water by two fingers, and add the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 14 to 18 minutes, until a small knife slides in without resistance. Don't let them crash around in a violent boil; a split skin is not a tragedy, but a pan full of waterlogged little potatoes is a pity.
- 3
Make herb butter
While the potatoes cook, mash the softened butter with the parsley, chives, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Taste it on the tip of a spoon. It should be bright, green, and properly salted, because the potatoes are gentle and need the butter to speak clearly.
Grate the garlic finely, or crush it to a paste with a pinch of salt. Large raw garlic pieces bully the herbs, and this dish is meant to be friendly. - 4
Dry and toss
Drain the potatoes well, then return them to the hot empty pan for one minute, off the heat, shaking once or twice so the surface dries. Add the herb butter and fold gently until every potato is glossed and the butter gathers in small golden pools at the bottom of the pan.
- 5
Serve warm
Tip the potatoes into a warm serving bowl and scrape every last green fleck of butter over them. Serve at once, beside grilled fish, sausages, roast chicken, or simply a salad and a glass of something cold. I prefer to keep it a bit more relaxed, in the Dutch way: bowl on the table, spoon in hand, everyone helping themselves.
Chef Tips
- •Buy true new potatoes when you can, especially in late spring and early summer. Their skins should rub easily under your thumb; if the skin is thick and tired, you're cooking ordinary small potatoes, which still work but need a little more time.
- •Use fresh herbs here. Dried parsley has the fragrance of old paper, and chives lose their point entirely. If you only have one herb, choose chives.
- •For outdoor dining, boil the potatoes ahead and toss them back in a warm pan with the herb butter just before serving. The butter should melt onto the potatoes, not sit on them like a cold coat.
- •Leftovers make excellent fried potatoes the next day. Cut them in half and brown them in a skillet with the remaining herb butter until the cut sides go crisp and golden.
Advance Preparation
- •The herb butter can be made up to three days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator; bring it back to room temperature before using.
- •The potatoes can be boiled up to four hours ahead, drained, and kept covered at room temperature. Rewarm gently in a pan before tossing with the butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 215g)
Calories
290 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
5 g
Cholesterol
40 mg
Sodium
620 mg
Total Carbohydrates
35 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
4 g
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