One of the loveliest dishes in all of French cooking and arguably the greatest of all summer salads is sliced boiled or steamed potatoes simply dressed with oil and vinegar and served at room temperature. Called "salade de pomme de terre à la Parisienne" or sometimes "pommes de terre à l'huile," it's lighter than its mayonnaise-dressed cousins, and is served both on its own or as one of the components of a composed salad.
But regardless of how it's dressed, the French secret to great potato salad is that before that dressing touches the cooked potatoes, while still piping hot they're sprinkled with dry white wine or vermouth. What that simple step does both to the flavor and texture is subtle but distinctive.
This beautiful French salad has been a fixture in my Southern kitchen for more than four decades, and is my favorite way of welcoming summer. For the first supper of the season yesterday, it accompanied a classic mayonnaise-dressed chicken salad, but it's a lovely addition to just about any summer menu.
My French Potato Salad
As with any good salad, there are no exact measurements for the dressing ingredients. So much will depend on your taste, the acidity and character of the vinegar, and, of course, the quality of the olive oil. Let your taste rather than a measuring cup guide you.
There are just two of us in our household, but I never make less than four servings, because when summer heats up and cooking is out of the question, having leftovers of this salad in the fridge is always a blessing.
For the best flavor, potatoes intended for salad or for mashing should be cooked whole, with their skins still on. I used to always prepare them that way, but am now old and lazy and usually peel and slice them before cooking. Besides, peeling and handling boiling hot potatoes in a hot kitchen on a steamy summer day is not my idea of a good time.
Serves 4
1½ pounds small red, white, or gold potatoes
Dry white vermouth
Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
Wine vinegar (white is usual, but red also works fine)
Extra virgin olive oil
About ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions or minced red onion or shallots
About 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. You may either boil or steam the potatoes—whatever is easiest for you. If I'm leaving the skins on, I steam them. To boil them, put about an inch of water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and have the pan next to the work surface where you prepare the potatoes. If you're going to steam them, put at least an inch water in the pot fitted with a steamer basket or steamer insert, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
2. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes well under cold running water. If you prefer them peeled, do so, but if they're small and their skins are delicate and tender, I often leave the peel on for added flavor and color. Slice them ¼-inch thick. If the potatoes are larger, you may also cut each slice in half. If you're boiling them, put them directly into the pot as you prepare them. When all the potatoes are in the pan, add enough water for it to just cover them and a healthy pinch or so of salt. Cover and put the pot over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Uncover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5-6 minutes. To steam them, add the prepared potatoes all at once to steamer insert in the prepared pot, cover, and steam until just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover, and if you've boiled the potatoes, drain them. Transfer them to a large ceramic or glass bowl. While they're still quite hot, sprinkle the potatoes lightly with vermouth, gently toss, and sprinkle again. Let it stand a few minutes until it's no longer steaming hot but still quite warm.
3. Add the onion or shallot, sprinkle lightly with vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss. Drizzle lightly with oil and gently toss until glossy but not greasy looking. Sprinkle with about two-thirds of the parsley and gently toss again. Let stand 10-15 minutes, taste, adjust the dressing, and toss one last time. The salad can be made several hours or even a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate if making it more than 4 hours ahead or if you want it chilled.
4. This salad is best at room temperature but it can be served lightly chilled. If you're serving it cold, take it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving. Sprinkle it with more parsley just before serving.