Cook\'s Country - 2019-06-07

JUNE/JULY 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 9

BOILED POTATOES MAKE a great

salad. Roasted potatoes with fl avorful

browned exteriors make a fantastic side.

I wanted to combine the two for a dish

that boasted the best of both worlds.

I selected fi ve very diff erent recipes

for roasted potato salad and fi red up the

oven. A few hours later, I presented the

fi nished salads to my colleagues to taste.

While some salads had components we

liked, none of them fully satisfi ed us. I

had more work ahead of me.

Choosing a potato was easy. I

knew from my initial test recipes that

russets were too starchy and Red Bliss

potatoes were too waxy—I wanted a

softer interior here. That left Yukon

Golds, which have excellent fl avor and

come in many sizes. I opted for the

small ones (no more than 2 inches in

diameter) and cut them in half for

bite-size pieces with exposed sides that

would pick up lots of fl avorful brown-

ing in the oven. Roasting the little

guys cut side down for 25 minutes at

425 degrees gave me the golden color

and creamy texture I was looking for.

While the potatoes cooled, I whipped

up a dressing. For this salad, I was

committed to mayo; I doctored it up

with some white wine vinegar and

Dijon mustard for punch. For crunch,

I tossed in some chopped celery. A

shallot and some garlic cloves (which I

roasted with the potatoes), chopped up

and stirred into the dressing, added a

soft sweet-and-savory note. Chopped

roasted red peppers from a jar provided

additional sweetness and a bit of color.

I stirred everything together until

the potatoes were well coated with the

dressing, and then sprinkled a good

handful of sliced chives over the top

for brightness. Success: My tasters

were pleased.

Browned potatoes, a punchy dressing, and a little celery crunch make this salad a new favorite.

Roasted Potato Salad

To breathe new life into this classic salad, we turned to the oven.

by Ashley Moore

THE

AMERICAN

TABLE

In many corners of the South, a
summertime tomato sandwich isn’t
worth eating unless the mayon-
naise is Duke’s.
This supertangy
regional favorite has
a devoted following
among Southerners;
according to The
Washington Post,
one elderly customer
even wrote to the
company requesting a few old-style
glass Duke’s mayonnaise jars to hold
her eventual cremains.

ROASTED POTATO SALAD

Serves 4 to 6

We prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes

in this recipe; however, small Red

Bliss potatoes will work. For the best

results, use small Yukon Gold potatoes

measuring 1 to 1½ inches in diameter.

Be sure to pat the roasted red peppers

dry with paper towels before chopping

them; any excess moisture will water

down the dressing.

2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes,

unpeeled, halved

1 shallot, halved through root end

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided

1¼ teaspoons pepper, divided

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup jarred roasted red peppers,

patted dry and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped fi ne

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh chives

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position
   and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss
   potatoes, shallot, oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon
   salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in
   bowl. Arrange potato mixture in single
   layer on rimmed baking sheet and fl ip
   potatoes cut side down. Roast until
   potatoes are tender and golden brown
   on bottoms, about 25 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise,
   vinegar, mustard, remaining ¾ teaspoon
   salt, and remaining ¾ teaspoon pepper
   together in large bowl. Stir in red
   peppers and celery.


3. Transfer sheet to wire rack. Using
   tongs, transfer shallot and garlic to
   cutting board; let cool for 5 minutes.
   Discard root end of shallot; fi nely chop
   shallot and garlic and add to bowl
   with dressing. Let potatoes cool for
   30 minutes.


4. Add cooled potatoes to bowl with
   dressing and toss to combine. Season
   with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer
   to serving platter and sprinkle with
   chives. Serve.

TOMATO SANDWICHES
Serves 4
Choose tomatoes that measure no
more than 2 inches in diameter. The
tomatoes should smell fruity and
feel heavy for their size. You’re more
likely to break up the tomatoes if
you toss them with the marinade
in a bowl; combining them in a
zipper-lock bag is gentler.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 pound mixed ripe tomatoes,
cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
½ cup mayonnaise
8 slices hearty white sandwich
bread, toasted
Pepper

1. Whisk oil, vinegar, and salt
   together in medium bowl; transfer
   marinade to 1-gallon zipper-lock
   bag. Add tomatoes to bag, press
   out air, seal bag, and gently turn to
   coat tomatoes with marinade. Lay
   bag fl at on counter and let sit for
   10 minutes.


2. Transfer tomato slices to
   now-empty bowl, leaving marinade
   in bag. Combine 1½ tablespoons
   marinade with mayonnaise in small
   bowl. Discard remaining marinade.


3. Place toast on cutting board.
   Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
   mixture on 1 side of toast. Shingle
   tomatoes evenly on 4 slices of
   toast, covering as much of toast
   as possible. Season tomatoes with
   pepper to taste. Top tomatoes with
   remaining 4 slices of toast, mayon-
   naise side down. Cut sandwiches in
   half. Serve.

Why Shallot?

Most home cooks

have onions at

the ready, but

fewer regularly buy the onion’s

smaller, sweeter cousin, the shallot.

While it’s true that you can usu-

ally substitute an equal amount of

onion for shallot in recipes, we love

shallots’ more gentle, refi ned fl avor.

Plus, their smaller size means fewer

forgotten onion halves in the back of

your refrigerator.