Thursday, July 17, 2008

this is my favourite recipe for potato salad. i loosely adapted this recipe (with a good many tweaks, of course) from a wonderful french cookbook some time ago, the result being a strange french-swedish-hungarian hybrid that i can hoover a six-serving bowlful in the space of time it takes to watch an episode of star trek: voyager. i like to use new potatoes when they're in season in ontario and have that wonderful creepy-looking skin that falls off with a good scrub. failing that, i'm also quite fond of the creamy texture of red potatoes, but whatever your favourite potato is will do. a mix of white and blue potatoes makes for a really visually interesting salad, too.

thus:

pommes de terre en salade

serves six (or less, depending on just how voracious you are)

1 1/2 - 2 pounds potatoes (unpeeled if new and tender-skinned, peeled if older)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar (or just plain old white vinegar, if that's what you've got handy)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 handful each fresh chives, parsley and dill, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until soft but not mushy. drain and transfer to a bowl. while the potatoes are still warm, toss with vinegar, and leave to cool a little. once the potatoes are approaching room temperature, add the olive oil, chives, parsley and dill, tossing to combine. season to taste with salt and pepper. et voilĂ !

*and another thing: if you prefer your potato salad dressing to be a little bit creamy, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of sour cream or plain yogurt to the dressing. it's pretty flipping awesome too.

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