Lucy’s Extra Special Potato Salad
Food
Potato salad with all the trimmings. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
They say you don’t make friends with salad. But this fancy potato salad with all the trimmings is the exception to the rule! It’s my take on a French-style potato salad, dressed with a light, herby vinaigrette, instead of mayo. In this version, I’ve also added crunchy homemade croutons and store-bought ocean trout. So good!
Any number of variations would work here. If you don’t eat fish, boiled eggs would be a good protein substitute. We also can’t help but think a scattering of crispy bacon bits would be a tasty addition if trout isn’t your thing.
The success of this salad is all about the potatoes. Powdery, fluffy potatoes just won’t cut it for this recipe, you really need a creamy variety. Go kipfler, or go home.
Salad Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)
- 10-12 kipfler potatoes
- Half a french bread stick, or 4 chunky slices of sourdough
- Small amount of olive oil, for brushing on the croutons
- 200g portion of store-bought smoked trout fillet
- A generous handful of fresh watercress
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
For the vinaigrette
- 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 heaped teaspoon of French dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 180°c. Slice your bread into 3-4cm pieces, and brush lightly with olive oil on both sides. Place on the grill tray in your oven, bake for about 15 minutes, or until crisp through and golden. Leave to cool.
Scrub (don’t peel) your Kipfler potatoes, and boil until just tender. Once cooked, drain, and slice into 1-2cm thick rounds. Whilst still hot, season lightly with a sprinkling of sea salt, and a splash of white wine vinegar. Allow to cool.
Whilst potatoes are cooking, rinse and chop your herbs. Also, prepare your trout – remove from packaging and flake with your fingers, removing any bones as you go.
Prepare your watercress by removing the leaves and discarding stems, rinsing and spinning in a salad spinner.
To make your creamy, emulsified vinaigrette, add your white wine vinegar to a small mixing bowl, with the dijon mustard, and whisk by hand to combine. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking as you go to ensure all ingredients combine evenly. The mustard is what helps emulsify and thicken the dressing, but it only works if you add the olive oil gradually. Once the dressing has reached your desired consistency (add more or less olive oil to your taste), add salt and pepper to taste.
Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and add dressing. Carefully fold through the dressing, taking care not to mash everything up too much. Serve at room temperature.