Chef Ally
Artichokes Braised in Olive Oil
Tender baby artichokes surrendered to good olive oil, garlic, and lemon, cooked low and slow until the leaves soften and the hearts turn silky. A dish that asks you to slow down.
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Warm Potato Salad with Herbs
Created by
Tender waxy potatoes dressed while still warm so they absorb every drop of mustardy vinaigrette, layered with briny capers, showered with soft herbs, and crowned with shallots fried until golden and impossibly crisp.
Side Dishes
French
Potluck
BBQ
Picnic
20 min
Active Time
25 min cook•45 min total
Yield6 servings
The secret to this salad is timing. Potatoes must be dressed while they are warm, almost too hot to handle. Cold potatoes sit in their vinaigrette like strangers. Warm potatoes absorb it completely, becoming something richer than either ingredient alone.
Find waxy potatoes at the farmers' market. Fingerlings with their thin skins and buttery flesh are ideal. New potatoes, freshly dug and still wearing traces of soil, work beautifully. Ask your farmer what they would use. They know their crop. They will tell you which variety holds its shape and which turns to mush.
The vinaigrette is simple. Good Dijon, white wine vinegar, olive oil. Nothing more. The capers bring brininess. The herbs bring life. And the crispy shallots on top, golden and shattering, bring texture that makes every bite interesting. This is a salad for a long table, a potluck, a picnic where people linger. It gets better as it sits, though it rarely lasts that long.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
small waxy potatoes
Quantity
2 pounds
fingerlings, new potatoes, or Yukon Gold
kosher salt
Quantity
for cooking water
good white wine vinegar
Quantity
3 tablespoons
Dijon mustard
Quantity
1 tablespoon
shallot (for vinaigrette)
Quantity
1 small
minced
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/2 cup
fine sea salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
capers
Quantity
3 tablespoons
drained
fresh flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
1/4 cup
roughly chopped
fresh chives
Quantity
2 tablespoons
snipped
fresh tarragon leaves
Quantity
2 tablespoons
fresh dill fronds
Quantity
2 tablespoons
shallots (for frying)
Quantity
3 medium
sliced into thin rings
neutral oil
Quantity
1/4 cup
for frying
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| small waxy potatoesfingerlings, new potatoes, or Yukon Gold | 2 pounds |
| kosher salt | for cooking water |
| good white wine vinegar | 3 tablespoons |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tablespoon |
| shallot (for vinaigrette)minced | 1 small |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 1/2 cup |
| fine sea salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| capersdrained | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleyroughly chopped | 1/4 cup |
| fresh chivessnipped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh tarragon leaves | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh dill fronds | 2 tablespoons |
| shallots (for frying)sliced into thin rings | 3 medium |
| neutral oilfor frying | 1/4 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •Large pot for boiling
- •Small skillet for frying shallots
- •Large serving bowl
- •Slotted spoon
Instructions
- 1
Choose your potatoes
Start at the market. You want waxy potatoes, the kind that hold their shape when sliced. Fingerlings are ideal. New potatoes work beautifully. Yukon Golds will do if that is what your farmer has. Avoid russets entirely. They will fall apart and turn to mush the moment you dress them.
Ask the farmer which potatoes they would use for a salad. They know their crop better than any label. - 2
Cook the potatoes whole
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by two inches. Add a generous handful of kosher salt. The water should taste like the sea. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until a knife slides through without resistance but the potato does not crumble, fifteen to twenty-five minutes depending on size. Do not rush this.
- 3
Make the vinaigrette
While potatoes cook, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and minced shallot in a large serving bowl. Let this sit for five minutes. The shallot softens and the flavors marry. Stream in the olive oil slowly, whisking constantly until the dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Taste it. Adjust. The dressing should be bright and assertive.
- 4
Fry the shallots
Heat the neutral oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot rings in a single layer, separating them with a fork. Fry until golden and crisp, stirring occasionally, about five to seven minutes. They will continue to darken off heat, so pull them while still pale gold. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Low and slow is the secret. High heat burns shallots before they crisp. Patience rewards you with shatteringly crunchy results. - 5
Slice while warm
Drain the potatoes and let them rest just until you can handle them, no more than two or three minutes. Slice them into thick rounds while they are still warm. This is not negotiable. Warm potatoes drink up the vinaigrette in a way cold ones never will. The starch is still receptive, the cells still open.
- 6
Dress immediately
Add the warm potato slices directly to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss gently with your hands or a soft spatula, coating every surface. The potatoes will absorb the dressing and become glossy and flavorful rather than sitting in a puddle. Let them rest for five minutes.
- 7
Add capers and herbs
Scatter the capers over the potatoes. Add the parsley, chives, tarragon, and dill. Toss once more, gently, just to distribute. The herbs should look abundant, not sparse. Taste a potato. Adjust salt if needed. The vinegar may need a touch more to balance the starch.
- 8
Finish and serve
Transfer to a serving platter if you like, or bring it to the table in the bowl you dressed it in. Scatter the crispy shallots over the top just before serving so they stay crunchy. Serve warm or at room temperature. This salad is alive when it is warm. Do not refrigerate it.
Chef Tips
- •Buy potatoes from a farmer you trust. The ones at the market will be days old at most. Supermarket potatoes may have been stored for months. Freshness matters in something this simple.
- •If you cannot find fingerlings, look for any potato labeled waxy or salad variety. Red potatoes work. Yukon Golds work. Just avoid anything mealy or baking-style.
- •Save the shallot frying oil. It is infused with flavor and makes an excellent base for future vinaigrettes.
- •This salad is best within two hours of dressing. It can sit at room temperature. It should never see the refrigerator.
Advance Preparation
- •Crispy shallots can be fried up to two hours ahead and stored uncovered at room temperature.
- •The vinaigrette can be whisked together an hour before serving. Let it sit at room temperature.
- •The potatoes must be cooked just before serving. There is no shortcut for warmth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 185g)
Calories
340 calories
Total Fat
23 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
19 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
350 mg
Total Carbohydrates
29 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
4 g
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