Spanish Potato Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

      

August 7, 2020

 

My Irish-German aunts made potato salad without mayonnaise.  As a curious kid, I found it intriguing because it was not what we did at our house.

 

There was bacon fat and vinegar drizzled over the hot potatoes and crumbled crispy bacon and chopped hard cooked eggs mixed in as well. To be sure, it was delicious and there was nary a drop of olive oil or any other unsaturated fats to be found.

 

Fast-forward many decades later, a mayonnaise-less potato salad is still not very common.  It makes an early summer appearance in the food magazines, but mostly remains the provenance of restaurants and/or family traditions.

 

This recipe with olive oil, smoked paprika, green olives and sherry vinegar give this potato salad its Spanish flair and its improved nutrition. The recipe is vegetarian and with a nod to my aunts; the addition of paper-thin slices of smoky ham would not be amiss.

 

 

  • Prep: 45 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Yields: 4-6 as a side dish.

Ingredients

2 ½-3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

½ cup red onion, very small dice

¼ cup celery, very small dice

½ cup red bell peppers, very small dice

½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (XVOO), divided

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and mashed to a paste

1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

1/3 cup pitted green olives, chopped (Manzanilla, for example)

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar (plus more to taste)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

Peal & cook the potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes are the best ‘compromise’ between a ‘waxy’ red potato and a ‘starchy’ Idaho or russet potato. They will keep their shape (if not boiled too hard) and will remain tender when chilled.

Choose large potatoes, about 8 ounces or larger. Peel and cut into 1-inch cubes. Put diced potatoes in cold water as you peel and cut them, this will keep them from discoloring. Drain and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Continue to cook until potatoes are tender; that is, they yield to the point of a knife inserted into the center.

Watch them…don’t boil them and don’t over cook them. You want them to retain their shape.

Next: Don’t ‘dump-drain’ them into a colander in the sink. This could make them break apart. Rather, use a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and scoop them out in batches to a sheet pan. In a small bowl dilute 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar with 1 tablespoon of the potato-cooking water and drizzle this over the potatoes. Next, drizzle the potatoes with ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of XVOO and a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Set aside to cool.

prep & cook the vegetables

Heat 2 tablespoons of XVOO in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery and red peppers, toss/stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add a pinch of kosher salt and a few twists from the pepper mill. Turn off the heat, add the mashed garlic and the smoked paprika. Combine thoroughly. (The residual heat in the pan will be enough to cook the garlic and its best not to ‘cook’ the smoked paprika over high heat as it will lose its pungency.) Let cool.

combine all the ingredients

In a large bowl combine the cooked potatoes and the cooked vegetables. Add the chopped green olives and the parsley. Stir gently to combine.

taste

Use your taste buds to adjust the flavors to your liking: more olive oil (XVOO)? More vinegar? More salt and/or pepper? More chopped olives? Make it taste good!

(note: when adjusting final seasonings of any dish, it’s best to add the additional ingredients in very small and deliberate increments. It’s easier to add more than to have to re-adjust if it’s too salty or too acidic. Just saying…)

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