No mayo potato salad

I’ll come right out and say it. I hate mayonnaise. Never liked it, always hated it. To this day. Odd, perhaps, for a woman who has willingly eaten and enjoyed pigs’ feet, beef heart and wild boar, but there you have it. I am a mayo-free zone.

But I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like; it must be genetic memory, the Irish blood. For most of my life I eschewed potato salad, but if someone serves it to me I eat it heartily and appreciatively, thanks to the manners my parents drummed into me from the day I was old enough to say, “Bleah.” No one at the State Dept. has suffered more in the name of diplomacy.

Pam Anderson put me out of my misery. You might know her name. She’s the author of several fabulous cookbooks and writes for USA Weekend; some of those recipes are at allrecipes.com. Before that, she was at Cook’s Illustrated, where she tested many ways to make potato salad and the various spuds one can use. She concluded low-starch potatoes (such as red bliss or new potatoes) are best, we should cook them whole and unpeeled — they don’t have to be peeled at all — and they absorb the flavors best while still warm. She included the information and this recipe in her first book, The Perfect Recipe, and I think it is perfect. Especially for those of us who’d rather hold the mayo.

French-Style Potato Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

If fresh tarragon is not available, increase the parsley to three tablespoons and use tarragon vinegar for drizzling and in the vinaigrette.

2 pounds new potatoes, boiled, peeled if desired, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 medium shallot, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

Layer warm potato slices in medium bowl; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons vinegar and the salt and pepper as you go. Let stand at room temperature while preparing dressing.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, mustard, and shallot in small mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil so that mixture is somewhat emulsified. Pour over potatoes; toss lightly to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature; toss in parsley and tarragon, adjust seasonings and serve.

Copyright © 1998 Pam Anderson

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