I mentioned earlier that I was at a potato workshop last week, watching some great chefs play around with potatoes. Here's one simple, effective idea from San Francisco chef Gary Danko, one that turns plain boiled potatoes into something special.
It's a simple tip:
When boiling potatoes, whole or chopped (see our best tips here for boiling potatoes) throw in whole sprigs of fresh herbs and let them simmer in the water along with the potatoes.
Chef Danko cooked this pot of potatoes with bunches of thyme and tarragon, and I was surprised at how much I could taste them both in the cooked potatoes. The tarragon came through especially nicely; the herb seemed to have completely suffused the potatoes with its delicate flavor.
I thought this was such a simple, easy idea, and one that can perk up plain boiled potatoes, dressed with a little olive oil and salt. But it also has potential in other dishes. Think about boiling your potatoes with a huge bunch of rosemary, then whipping them into mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of black pepper. Yummy, right?! I can even see adding some lavender to the cooking water, or lemon verbena.
Have you ever tried this before?
Related: How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Best way my grandparents used to cook potatoes was whole on metal steamer basket, with some dill thrown on top.
I just recently started making this for my own family, and it's awesome, especially with young potatoes. You throw the whole thing in (sans roots), including stalk. In fact, I started keeping left-over stalks in the fridge for when I need to cook potatoes.
Same works with boiling I guess, if you don't want to steam.
I discovered this technique by following a Finnish recipe for boiled potatoes. It called for dropping a few bunches of fresh dill into the pot, along with the salted water and baby potatoes. The potatoes are drained and served with just a bit of salt and pepper and a dab of butter. The addition of the dill turns them into something truly special, and yet it's so simple!
I've had exceptional results with sprigs of thyme, and separately rosemary. Such an easy way to fancify the humble boiled potato!
oooh i love this tip, totally trying it out for tomorrow night's dinner. thanks!
Well, for the best *mashed* potatoes, my mother-in-law taught me (23 years ago!!) to add a peeled onion, cut in half (discard after cooking). It makes an amazing difference...
Yum! Why didn't I think of this? Thanks for such a great, easy flavor idea - can't wait to try it!