French-Style Brown Butter New Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound small new potatoes, rinsed
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, optional
• 2 garlic cloves, optional
• Sliced chives, for serving
• Crème fraîche, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium 3-quart saucepan or saucier, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the potatoes, a generous pinch of salt, and as much pepper as you want. Cook them while the butter crackles, frequently swirling the pan and stirring with a heatproof spatula. As they cook, keep the potatoes spread out in one flat layer. When the butter is foaming hard and has shifted to golden yellow, after 5 to 8 minutes, lower the heat to medium-low.
2. Add the herbs and garlic, if you're using them. Keep stirring, and turn the potatoes now and then so they brown evenly. The butter should be golden brown by now; adjust the burner so it barely simmers and puffs up with foam when stirred. Depending on your stove, medium-low may still be too warm, so take it down to low if needed. Cook until the potatoes are deep golden brown and tender all the way through, about 45 minutes; check by piercing one with a sharp paring knife or cake tester. Take the pan off the heat and leave the potatoes in it for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the potatoes through the brown butter until they’re coated. Lift them into a serving bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the extra brown butter behind for the moment. Spoon over as much of that butter as you’d like, then finish with chives, if using, and sea salt to taste. Serve right away with crème fraîche for dipping.