French Potato Salad

Purple potatoes don’t get enough credit. Add fancy mustard and herbs, and suddenly potato salad is “chic”.

Potato salad is a favorite side for us. We love this side for just about any protein. It’s light enough to have with fish, but the acidity balances out fattier red meats nicely too. And while summer is traditionally peak for potato salad, this dish is also great warm and would transition perfectly into early fall. Purple potatoes are not necessary of course, but they are sure to win you bonus points.

Ingredients

2 pounds small potatoes, scrubbed

salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for garnish

Method

Place the potatoes into a large pot. Check them for size– if any are particularly large, halve them for even cooking. Cover the potatoes with cold water and season with about a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Meanwhile, preheat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about five minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the vinegar, mustard and herbs, and whisk to combine.

Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Feel free to make this recipe a day in advance up to this point. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature with extra herbs on top.