FRENCH POTATO SALAD

After years of eating traditional, American potato salad filled with gloppy mayonnaise dressing in childhood and at endless church socials, I decided to try it French style, a la Julia Child, with perfectly cooked potatoes, herbs and a vinaigrette dressing. This is good any time of year but especially in the late spring and early summer with new potatoes, just formed under the warming ground, but you can use either white or red potatoes found in your grocery store all year round. Try to use potatoes of the same size so they'll cook evenly and be sure to add the dressing when they're still warm; the potatoes will absorb the dressing (rather than its just lying on top) and provide a richer flavor. This recipe calls for more dressing than you'll  need so don't use it all. Just dress the salad enough to wet the ingredients and then add more as necessary. The leftover dressing can be used for a regular salad. If you refrigerate this, be sure to let it come to room temperature before serving. In this case, a little more dressing may be needed.

 

FRENCH POTATO SALAD

serves 4-6

 

 

2 lb. small boiling potatoes (red or white, or a mixture of the two)

2 T good dry white wine

2 T chicken stock

3 T champagne vinegar

1/2 t Dijon mustard

2 t kosher salt

3/4 t freshly ground black pepper

10 T good extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C minced scallions

2 T fresh dill, minced

2 T fresh flat-leafed parsley, minced

2 T fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

 

1. Drop the potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20-30 minutes, until just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a dish towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for another 10 minutes. (This will ensure that they're cooked all the way through.) As soon as you can handle them, cut in half (or quarters if they're large) and place in a medium bowl. Be sure not to overcook the potatoes so they won't become mushy. You can test them by piercing them with a sharp kitchen knife. If they pierce easily, they're done.

 

2. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

 

3. Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 t slat and 1/4 t pepper and whisk slowly with olive oil to make an emulsion (the mustard is essential for this). Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions and herbs, 1 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper and toss gently so as not to break up the potatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Note: to make a chiffonade of basil leaves, just layer the leaves, roll them up tightly like a cigar and then cut them closely across the grain. This prevents bruising of the basil by just chopping it. And it's much easier.