My French Potato Salad

Recipe: My French Potato Salad 

Of all the dishes I make, this is the one I most often get asked to bring to picnics and BBQs and pot-luck dinners. This may be made many hours in advance, even the night before—but do not refrigerate.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. (I prefer Maille)
¹/₃ cup red wine vinegar (I like Dal Raccolta Old Chianti Vinegar) 

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup vegetable oil (I use peanut oil)

1 Vidalia onion, or 2-3 shallots (chopped)
3 pounds small new potatoes (I like to mix Yukons, White Creamers and Reds)

Fresh parsley

Directions

Place mustard at bottom of the salad bowl in which you will serve the potato salad. Add vinegar and season with salt and pepper. (This must be done now, before the oil is added). Add 1/3 of oil. Whisk until it thickens.

Add second third of oil. Whisk until thicker. Add last third of oil. Whisk again. 

Add the chopped onions or shallots. Wash, pat dry and boil potatoes in their skins until soft. Drain and peel while still warm. The skin comes off very easily when cooked, but you will need a paper towel to hold the hot potatoes. Cut potatoes in halves or quarters and place while still warm into the vinaigrette. (They won’t absorb the sauce once cooled.)  

Add half the parsley, salt and pepper, and stir.  Add the rest of the parsley, salt and pepper, and let stand.