Sides

Danish Caramelized Potatoes

Name: Danish Caramelized Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pounds small waxy potatoes, about 1 1/2 inches across, such as baby Yukon Gold or creamer potatoes; Kosher salt, for the boiling water; 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed

Small boiled potatoes rolled in golden butter caramel until they shine. Known in Denmark as brunede kartofler, they sit next to the roast pork or duck on Christmas Eve, soft and sweet with a buttery glaze.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Ready in: 2 hr 55 min

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Ingredients

2 pounds small waxy potatoes, about 1 1/2 inches across, such as baby Yukon Gold or creamer potatoes
Kosher salt, for the boiling water
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed

Steps

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover them with cold water by 1 inch and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until a knife slides in with just a little resistance, 10 to 15 minutes. They should be tender but not falling apart.
Drain the potatoes. As soon as you can handle them, slip off the skins with a small knife. Refrigerate them until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Pat the cold potatoes completely dry with paper towels. Wet potatoes make the caramel spit.
Set a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat. Spread the sugar in an even layer and let it melt without stirring, tilting the pan gently if it melts unevenly. Cook until it is completely liquid and a deep golden amber, like honey, 5 to 8 minutes. Watch it closely, because dark brown caramel tastes bitter.
Add the butter and stir until smooth. It will foam up.
Carefully add the potatoes and shake the pan to roll them in the caramel. It may harden when the cold potatoes hit it. Keep the pan on medium heat and keep shaking, and it will melt again as they warm. If it stays too stiff, add the water a tablespoon at a time, standing back because it will spit.
Cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan and turning the potatoes gently with a spoon, until they are hot through and coated in a shiny golden-brown glaze. Serve right away, with any caramel left in the pan spooned over.

Good to know

Serve them the Danish way, next to plain boiled potatoes, roast pork or duck, red cabbage and plenty of gravy.
Make ahead: boil and peel the potatoes the day before, then caramelize them just before dinner. They will hold in a 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat them gently with a spoonful of water.
Short on time? Three 15-ounce cans of small whole potatoes work too. Drain and rinse them, then dry them very well.