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Classic French Potato Salad
A staple of summer picnics, this mayo-free potato salad swaps heavy dressings for a bright, tangy vinaigrette. You'll toss tender red potatoes in a Dijon and white wine vinegar blend while they're still warm, allowing them to soak up every drop of flavor. A generous mix of fresh chervil, parsley, chives, and tarragon adds an herbaceous finish that's incredibly refreshing. It's a lighter, more vibrant take on a traditional cookout side.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and threaded on skewer
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
Instructions
- 1Place the sliced potatoes in a large saucepan, cover them with water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- 2Stir in the salt, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 6 minutes until the potatoes are tender enough to easily pierce with a paring knife.
- 3While the potatoes simmer, dip the skewered garlic clove into the hot water for 45 seconds to blanch it. Cool the garlic under cold running water, remove it from the skewer, and mince it finely. Blanching mellows the raw garlic bite.
- 4Reserve 1/4 cup of the potato cooking water. Drain the potatoes and spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Spreading them out helps them cool slightly without steaming each other into mush.
- 5In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced blanched garlic, vinegar, Dijon mustard, pepper, and the reserved cooking water. Drizzle this dressing evenly over the warm potatoes.
- 6Let the potatoes rest for about 10 minutes so they absorb the dressing.
- 7Transfer the dressed potatoes to a large serving bowl. Mix the minced shallot and fresh herbs in a small dish, scatter them over the potatoes, and fold everything together gently with a rubber spatula.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Return to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Fennel & Olive Variation: Omit the chervil, chives, and tarragon. Increase the parsley to 3 tablespoons. Fold in 1/2 thinly sliced fennel bulb, 1 chopped tomato, and 1/4 cup quartered oil-cured black olives with the shallots.
- Radish & Caper Variation: Skip the fresh herbs. Swap the shallot for 2 tablespoons minced red onion. Fold in 2 thinly sliced red radishes, 1/4 cup rinsed capers, and 1/4 cup sliced cornichons.
- Blue Cheese & Walnut Variation: Skip the fresh herbs. Fold 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts, 1 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese, and 3 cups torn baby arugula into the dressed potatoes.