This French style potato salad is made with a tangy lemon and herb vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise, making for a side that’s light, fresh, and easy to prepare in advance.
One of the best parts about living in a house in Queens (versus living in the city) is having a backyard. The fact that most of our friends in NYC aren’t as lucky in the “outdoor space” department as we are means we always host a handful of backyard BBQs for our friends throughout the summer. And this past July 4th was the perfect excuse to have an outdoor gathering. My brother Ben and boyfriend Gabe take the reins on whatever meat-based dishes we make. This year Ben smoked a brisket and Gabe grilled a pork loin. I, on the other hand, am in charge of the veggie-based dishes. Since I had to work on the Monday before the 4th, I was looking for sides that I could easily prepare in advance, and this French style potato salad fit the bill perfectly.
This French style potato salad may be unlike one you’ve ever had before. Instead of dressing it with a mayonnaise based dressing, I use a vinaigrette dressing. I made a a simple vinaigrette using minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, fresh thyme, and dijon mustard. Of course I had to put my own little Italian spin on this French style potato salad, so I included a tablespoon or two of Calabrian chilis. Calabrian chilis are an ingredient that I’ve been including in tons of my recipes recently (see my Calabrian chili butter or chili oil pasta recipes) because it adds lots of complex flavor with only one ingredient. The little bit I used in this dressing doesn’t make the salad spicy per say, but it does add a depth of flavor with a tiny kick of heat, a bit of sweetness, and some acidity.
GETTING THE MOST FLAVOR
It may sound simple, but this French style potato salad actually packs an impressive flavor punch. Most of that is due to the dressing itself and the addition of fresh herbs (parsley and chives, which have so much flavor on their own). But a lot of that flavor also comes from the technique of making this potato salad. I dressed the potatoes right after boiling them while they were still hot, allowing the potatoes to absorb the dressing instead of just sitting in it. And even though I made it a day ahead for convenience, sitting in the fridge for a day really allows the flavors of this dish to deepen. It really is a deceptively simple yet flavor-packed side, perfect and so easy to make for your next summer gathering.
French Style Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb yukon gold or teeny tiny potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp crushed calabrian chilis
- 1 tsp thyme (fresh is preferred but dried is ok)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp honey or agave, as needed to sweeten
- 1/4 cup green onions (greens only), thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes until tender.
- While the potatoes cook, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together dijon mustard, lemon juice and zest, garlic, honey or agave, olive oil, calabrian chilis, and thyme. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and and put back in the pot. Pour in the dressing and about half the parsley and green onion. Mix well to combine and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Reserve the other half of the parsley and green onion for serving.
- Allow the potato salad to chill in the fridge at least 1 hour, but preferably longer and up to 2 days to allow all the flavors to marry. When ready to serve, toss in the reserved parsley and green onion and season with salt and pepper once more as needed.
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