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Roasted Fingerlings with Crème Fraîche and Chives
Created by
Small fingerling potatoes roasted until their skins crackle, split open and crowned with cool crème fraîche and a shower of fresh chives. Three ingredients. No tricks. Just honest food.
Appetizers & Snacks
California
Dinner Party
Comfort Food
10 min
Active Time
30 min cook•40 min total
Yield6 servings (about 24 pieces)
Start with the potatoes. Fingerlings from a farmer who cares will have thin skins that blister beautifully and waxy flesh that turns creamy in a hot oven. These are not the potatoes from a warehouse. They should smell faintly of earth when you bring them home.
The technique here is restraint. Roast them whole until they crackle. Split them open. Add cold crème fraîche and fresh chives. That is all. Perfect ingredients need almost nothing done to them.
I learned this lesson in Brittany, at a farmhouse table where the cook brought out a bowl of potatoes from her garden. She had roasted them simply and served them with butter and herbs. The diners applauded. Not for technique. For the potato itself. Your choices shape the food system, and a potato this good is worth seeking out.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
small fingerling potatoes
Quantity
1 1/2 pounds
good olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
flaky sea salt
Quantity
3/4 teaspoon, plus more for finishing
crème fraîche
Quantity
1/2 cup
cold
fresh chives
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely snipped
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| small fingerling potatoes | 1 1/2 pounds |
| good olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| flaky sea salt | 3/4 teaspoon, plus more for finishing |
| crème fraîchecold | 1/2 cup |
| fresh chivesfinely snipped | 2 tablespoons |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Rimmed baking sheet
- •Small paring knife
Instructions
- 1
Select and prepare potatoes
Look for fingerlings that are firm, smooth, and roughly the same size. The best ones feel heavy for their size and have thin, unblemished skins. Rinse them under cold water and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. Moisture is the enemy of crisp skin.
Farmers' market fingerlings often come in mixed varieties: Russian Banana, French, Rose Finn Apple. The mix of colors makes a prettier plate. - 2
Coat with oil and salt
Preheat your oven to 425F. Toss the dry potatoes with olive oil and salt in a large bowl, using your hands to coat each one evenly. The oil should glisten on the skins without pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- 3
Roast until crackling
Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each one. Crowding steams them instead of roasting them. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through, until the skins are blistered and crackling and a knife slides easily into the center.
The potatoes are done when you hear them sizzle as they hit the hot pan on the shake. Listen for that sound. - 4
Split and season
Transfer the hot potatoes to a cutting board. Working quickly while they are still warm, use a small knife to split each potato lengthwise, cutting about three-quarters of the way through. Gently press the ends toward each other to open the potato and expose the creamy interior. The steam escaping is your signal.
- 5
Top and serve
Arrange the split potatoes on a warm platter. Drop a small spoonful of cold crème fraîche into each opening. The contrast of temperatures is the whole point: warm, earthy potato against cool, tangy cream. Scatter the chives generously over everything. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Chef Tips
- •Find a farmer who grows fingerlings. Ask them which variety tastes best right now. The answer changes with the season, and they will tell you true.
- •Crème fraîche has a tang that sour cream cannot match. If you cannot find good crème fraîche, stir a tablespoon of buttermilk into a cup of heavy cream and let it sit at room temperature overnight. You will have made your own.
- •Cut the chives at the last moment. Their aliveness fades quickly once snipped. If you grow them in a pot on your windowsill, you will always have them when you need them.
- •These can be served on a platter for guests to pick up, or plated individually as a first course. Either way, serve them warm, not hot. The crème fraîche should stay cold against the potato.
Advance Preparation
- •The potatoes can be roasted up to two hours ahead and held at room temperature. Rewarm briefly in a 375F oven for five minutes before splitting and topping.
- •Snip the chives just before serving. They lose their bright color and flavor if cut too far ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 125g)
Calories
205 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
8 g
Cholesterol
17 mg
Sodium
300 mg
Total Carbohydrates
20 g
Dietary Fiber
3 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
3 g
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