Boiled Potatoes
Boiled potatoes — skins left on, cooked in well-salted water and dressed with butter and spices — are the most filling hot item on Çorum’s village breakfast tables. Simple as it looks, the dish asks for the right potato, the right boil and the right butter, and is loved by every age in the region.
How It Is Made
The potatoes are scrubbed and boiled whole, skins intact, in plenty of salted water until tender. The skin keeps them from falling apart and holds in their starch. For serving, the potatoes are split open by hand, hot melted butter is poured over, and red pepper flakes and cumin are sprinkled on — the dish’s characteristic spicing. On some tables only salt and butter are used.
At the Breakfast Table
In Çorum, a village breakfast always sets one “hot” item beside the cheeses, curd cheese, clotted cream, honey and homemade jams. Depending on the season and the cook’s hand, that might be egg salad, beans with egg, eggy bread — or boiled potatoes. On cold winter mornings, with tea and butter, potatoes warm the whole table.
Filling for those returning from the field and economical for the winter pantry, the dish is one of the plain reflections of Anatolia’s “larder kitchen” in Çorum.
🍳 How to make it
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium potatoes (a floury, dry variety)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt
Method
- Scrub the potatoes well; leave the skins on.
- Boil in generously salted water for 20-25 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
- Drain and let cool slightly; if you like, split them open by hand.
- Melt the butter in a small pan, add the red pepper flakes and cook for 10-15 seconds.
- Arrange the potatoes on a platter, season with salt and cumin, and pour the pepper butter over.
💡 Tips
- Boiling in the skins keeps the potatoes from falling apart and preserves their texture.
- Serve with ayran or tea, curd cheese and olives — and the village breakfast is complete.
A traditional recipe; quantities and times are approximate and vary by household.