MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes
Looking through my list of recipes for this book, I wouldn’t blame you if you worried that I might have a split personality! I jump around from vegan and salad recipes to full-fat recipes and red meats. But one thing I’ve learned in life is that there’s a time to indulge and a time to have kale salads with dressings on the side. You have to have the yin with the yang. This is my non-mayo-based potato salad. I dress it with a tangy vinaigrette and with the bacon on top, and it is absolutely incredible. Like my mashed potatoes (see page 208) and a lot of my other veggie recipes, this recipe leans hard on good technique. Caramelizing the potatoes from top to bottom on a blistering-hot baking sheet is key. Adding the dressing while the potatoes are hot is the step that makes all the difference. It turns these spud sponges into a culinary flavor bomb.
1 (12-ounce) package sliced bacon
2 pounds red, purple, and/or yellow creamer potatoes (the littlest ones you can find)
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons chopped jarred pepperoncini
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh chives
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Cut the bacon into 1⁄2-inch-wide pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until evenly brown, crisp, and cooked. Drain the fat, reserving 1⁄4 cup in the pan. Set the cooked bacon aside in a large bowl and leave the pan with the reserved fat on the stove with the heat turned off.
Rinse the potatoes and put them in a large pot with the salt. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches, bring to a boil, and cook until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes. If they are larger than bite-size, cut them in half or quarters.
Add the pepperoncini, mustards, vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, and pepper to the bowl with the bacon and whisk until combined.
Heat the reserved bacon fat over high heat until melted and hot. Add the potatoes and, using a spatula, smash about one-third to half of them into the bacon fat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the potatoes, undisturbed, until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off and pour the dressing over the potatoes in the pan. Add the bacon, chives, and parsley and gently toss to evenly coat the potatoes. Serve this potato salad warm or at room temp.
Notes:
- If you store the potato salad in the fridge for later, try to bring it to room temp before serving; the flavors are more alive and vibrant at room temp than when cold.