Butter Or Salt First? How A Michelin Chef Seasons Potatoes For Maximum Flavor

In cooking, there are classic "chicken-or-the-egg" controversies. And when it comes to potatoes, there are a few simmering disagreements. One is whether to start potatoes in cold water when making mash or add them to boiling water (and the answer is clear — you should always start mashed potatoes in cold water). The other is about what comes first when preparing potatoes — butter or salt? Thankfully, a Michelin-starred chef was willing to put the argument to rest once and for all, and with good reasoning, suggests using butter first for this style of preparation.

"Butter first, before you season," Chef Marco Pierre White instructed on BBC Maestro as he prepared Pommes Maxim. He explained it's a matter of science, not preference, saying, "... if you season first before you put the butter on, the salt will extract the water." It's worth noting that Chef White prepared this dish in a frying pan, and salting rules differ when preparing other dishes, such as mashed or boiled potatoes. But for baked or pan-fried potatoes, the butter serves "to protect the potato, so when you season, it doesn't start to leak its water," Chef White said. This ensures the potatoes stay perfectly tender even as they crisp.

Even preliminary steps that have seemingly nothing to do with seasoning contribute to the end result and make all the difference in taste and texture. Chef White begins his potato preparation with yet another first-step trick that will keep your potatoes from turning brown: peeling and submerging them in cold water. The water also draws out excess starch, which keeps potatoes from turning out more sticky than crispy. 

Chef White doesn't mind getting his hands dirty preparing the potatoes, opting to glaze the dish's paper-thin potato slices by gently massaging them with butter using just his fingers before adding a generous pinch of salt. "Season from a distance, so it's even," he instructed. Beyond salt, don't be afraid to experiment with seasonings, as there are lots of ways to add more flavor to potatoes, and the versatile little veggies can jive with just about any flavor profile. 

When potatoes don't need to be protected from drying out, such as when dressing a baked potato, the order of butter and salt doesn't matter. Once the potatoes are prepared, it's all about seasoning (and buttering) to taste.