A Labor Day Side
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
To celebrate Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, New Yorkers are bound to do plenty of grilling this weekend, be it at their beach houses or at designated barbecue areas in city parks. What to put on the grill — beef patties, hot dogs, and chicken breasts — is the easy part, but drumming up side dishes to make ahead of time can be more daunting. One option is Syracuse-style salt potatoes, such as those served up at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (646 W. 131st St., between Broadway and Riverside Drive, 212-694-1777) in Harlem. Salt potatoes are merely small potatoes — either new or fingerling — that are boiled in water saturated with salt. The recipe couldn’t be simpler:
2 lbs. Potatoes
1 lb. Salt
2 Quarts Water
Optional toppings: Melted Butter, Sour Cream, Chives
1. Stir salt in water.
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Place 2 lbs. of scrubbed potatoes with their skins on into the water.
4. Boil for about 25 minutes
5. Cool, add optional toppings, and serve.
Serves 5-8
