Issue Date: May 16, 2004
Perfect potato salad
Two simple techniques guarantee a great Memorial Day side dish.
Have you ever decided to make potato salad, only to wonder if you have the right kind of potatoes? Should they be peeled? How should they be cooked?
Here's what I know: Most potato salads look and taste better when made with low-starch red boiling potatoes. For Classic American-Style Potato Salad, you can use any size of this variety, but the small new potatoes cook 10 to 15 minutes faster than the larger ones.
Boil the potatoes with their skins on, which keeps them from becoming water-logged and mushy. But understand that the skin also prohibits flavor penetration, so don't bother seasoning the cooking water, not even with salt.
As the potatoes near tenderness, gently test them with a thin-bladed knife or thin metal skewer. (Forks split the potatoes, causing them to take on water.) Choose potatoes that are all roughly the same size, if possible, so they cook in the same time.
Once the potatoes are cooked and drained, peel them if you like, but it's an extra step, and the salad will be less colorful. For easy cutting, wait until the potatoes are just warm, then cube or slice them with a serrated knife.
The Roasted New Potato Salad With Olives exemplifies a second -- and amazingly quick -- cooking technique. Instead of roasting the potatoes in a preheated oven, start them in a cold oven and roast them as the oven heats. Cooked this way, they brown nearly twice as fast.
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of three cookbooks, including "CookSmart" (Houghton Mifflin, $28).
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Roasted New Potato Salad With Olives
Kalamata olives and French herbs lend Mediterranean flair.
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2 pounds small red new potatoes, rinsed, dried and halved
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/4 tsps. herbes de Provence (mixed dried French herbs) or dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pitted and coarsely chopped Kalamata olives
1/2 small red onion, cut into thin slivers
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 Tbs. malt vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 Tb. mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Toss potatoes in oil with herbs, a generous sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Place potatoes, cut side down, in a single layer on a lipped cookie sheet. Set pan on lowest rack of cold oven; heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast until cut side is golden brown and potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl; add olives, onion and parsley.
Whisk vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic, a big pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Slowly whisk in oil, first in droplets, then in a slow, steady stream. Pour dressing over warm salad; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature for best flavor.
Serves: 6.
Per serving: 263 calories, 2g protein, 26g carbohydrates, 16g fat (2g saturated), 2g fiber, 226mg sodium.
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Classic American-Style Potato Salad
2 pounds red boiling potatoes (about 6 medium), scrubbed
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 hard-cooked eggs
1 small celery stalk
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickle (not relish)
2 to 3 scallions
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Dijon-style mustard
Place potatoes in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring to ensure even cooking, until a thin-bladed paring knife or a metal skewer inserted into a potato can be removed with no resistance, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. Cool slightly.
Cut warm potatoes into 3/4-inch dice with a serrated knife. Layer them in a bowl, seasoning with vinegar, salt and pepper as you go. Cut eggs, celery and pickle in 1/4-inch dice and thinly slice scallions. Add to potatoes, along with parsley. Stir in mayonnaise and mustard until everything is combined. Chill, covered, before serving.
Serves: 6.
Per serving: 299 calories, 6g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 17g fat (2g saturated), 2g fiber, 556mg sodium.
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