Instead of serving roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes, what about a potato salad? And what if the dressing includes horseradish…and bacon …and sour cream?
Fingerlings are very creamy and flavourful – ideal for a salad. If fingerlings are not available, small new potatoes or Yukon Golds are a perfect substitute.
Fingerling Potato Salad
Number of Servings: 4
Salad ingredients:
4 slices of bacon, cooked, and chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon dripping for dressing)
1 pound fresh fingerling potatoes, cut into halves, or thirds
1 sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme
Kosher or sea salt
2-3 cups of mixed greens (spinach, arugula, leaf lettuce)
½ cup chopped chives or green onions
Creamy Dressing:
1 head of garlic, roasted
1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
1 ½ tablespoon (25 mL) horseradish
1 tablespoon (15 mL) white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) bacon drippings
2-3 tablespoons (30-45 mL) sour cream
Kosher or sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Prepare bacon by sautéing slices in a hot pan until brown and crisp. Remove from pan and cut into small pieces (1/2 inch). Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
- Prepare roasted garlic for the dressing: Preheat oven to 375 0 F (190 0 C). Cut a little off the top of a head of garlic – just enough to expose all of the cloves. Place it on a piece of foil; drizzle olive oil over all; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enclose the entire head of garlic with the foil; place on a baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until very soft and fragrant. Let it cool a little in the foil. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl.
- Prepare potatoes: Cut fingerlings in half, or in thirds (lengthwise) unless they are quite small. Over simmering water, steam the potatoes with an herb sprig, and a sprinkle of salt, until the potatoes are very tender 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare dressing by mixing together the roasted garlic, mustard, horseradish, vinegar and bacon drippings. Stir in sour cream. Season to taste.
- As soon as the potatoes are tender, remove the herb sprig and place potatoes in a large bowl. Add some of the bacon pieces. Gently stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing and some of the chopped chives/onions; allow salad to cool in the fridge. Just before serving, stir in the remaining dressing and the remaining chopped chives.
- Serve, at room temperature, on a bed of mixed greens; garnish with the remaining bacon pieces and a sprinkle of chives/green onions.
Questions and comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
