Roasted new potato salad with herby vinaigrette and crème fraîche
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I can’t think of a lovelier dish for this time of year than a beautifully made potato salad. The appearance of new baby spuds in the shops – especially Jersey Royals - has me happily striding into potato salad mode, which I probably won’t exit until summer has faded. The gauzy skins of Jersey Royals and other new potato varieties carry a mineral edge that literally makes me salivate and the sides of my mouth hum. What’s more, the neutral waxy flesh partners agreeably with a slew of different bold flavours.
I must admit I have a soft spot for the gloopy version of my childhood: chopped boiled potatoes glued together with a squirt or ten of Praise mayonnaise, which we carted in Tupperware tubs on picnics. Although it always smooshed in transit, potato salad always held up well compared to proper ‘salad’ components that simply gave up and slumped in the heat. It was a bit of a dreary picnic or barbecue without potato salad to look forward to.
These days, I’m more of a vinaigrette than a mayonnaise girl when it comes to dressing potato salad, but the foundations of my love for it remain the same. The combination of starchy potato, the bite of something salty and tart (capers, chopped pickled cucumber or red onion) plus fresh herbs for vibrance, is a winning one. And a sharp, vaguely creamy dressing – not one that resolutely sticks to the roof of your mouth like mayonnaise – brings everything together into a winning whole.
Boiled potatoes are traditional, and whenever you go this route I urge you to leave the skin on. Even if the end result isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as peeled and pristine spuds, there’s unmissable flavour in the skin. In this week’s recipe, however, I’ve boiled the potatoes at a gallop in very salty water, then roasted them, squashed them and roasted them again. I used the oven to do this when I made it yesterday, but I’ve roasted boiled potatoes for similar iterations on the barbecue with the lid down. The smoky notes are excellent.
In terms of dressing, I’ve opted for an intensely herby vinaigrette – make it with whatever fragrant fresh herbs you can lay your hands on - thickened a little with a few spoonfuls of crème fraiche. I’ve also suggested adding extra crème fraiche on top, so you still get the satisfaction of creaminess, but not overwhelmingly in every bite.
Potato salad is generally considered a side dish, but I think it’s fabulous enough to make the centre of a meal. Fold through ham or bacon, or even a drained can of tuna for extra substance, or I often arrange halves of jammy boiled eggs on top. At this time of year (in the UK at least), asparagus – either served on the side or folded through – is very fine.
Roast new potato salad with creamy herb vinaigrette and watercress
serves 4 - 6 as a side
1kg new potatoes
A good splash of olive oil
70g watercress (leaves and tender stems), optional
For the vinaigrette
90ml vegetable or rapeseed oil
45ml extra virgin olive oil
45ml white wine vinegar or lemon juice
3 Tbsp crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve
½ garlic clove, grated
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 - 2 tablespoons capers
20g fresh herbs (leaves and tender stems), plus extra to serve
Method
Bring a large pan of water to a galloping boil, add 1 Tbsp fine sea salt and carefully slide in the potatoes. Boil for 12 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C.
Pour a good splash of olive oil into a small baking dish or tray – enough to cover the base by a few mm – and transfer to the oven for 5 minutes to get hot.
Carefully tip the potatoes into the hot baking dish and oil, and shake to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and increase the temperature to 250C. Squash the potatoes lightly but firmly with a potato masher - you want crushed tops, not mash! Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, turning the potatoes over halfway through.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Place all the ingredients except the herbs in a lidded jar, add a good pinch of salt and shake vigorously for a couple of minutes until everything combines into a creamy dressing. Have a taste and add more salt, vinegar or mustard to round out the flavours out to your liking.
Very finely chop the herbs and add these to the jar, then shake vigorously again. Set aside.
When the potatoes are roasted and beautifully burnished, transfer to a serving platter and toss with the herby dressing. Add watercress to the platter (if using) and top the potatoes with more crème fraîche and extra chopped herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.