french potato salad.

I am smitten with this salad.

It’s another great example proving French food doesn’t have to be fattening or overcomplicated.

To start, you won’t find any mayonnaise. The dressing is made by simply pouring white wine and a bit of olive oil over the warm potatoes, and then adding a touch of Dijon along with plenty of fresh herbs and seasonings. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to pour wine over my salad. You’ll feel fabulously French, and you won’t believe the amazing flavor it imparts – just be sure to use a good wine!

The finishing touch of chopped eggs is another reason to love this salad – if you like hard-boiled eggs as much as I do – and I wouldn’t be offended if you opted to add a few Niçoise olives. Though Jacques and Julia suggested serving over a bowl of radicchio leaves, I didn’t because I had enough beautiful purple coloring from the jewel-tone potatoes.

Who knew potato salad could be so elegant? Just leave it to the French.

Jacques’ French Potato Salad

Slightly adapted from Julia Child and Jacques Pépin

• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or other small waxy potatoes {I used a mixture of purple potatoes and regular}
• 1/2 cup or so extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, mashed and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard {you may want to add more as the salad sits and the flavor settles in}
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons or more coarsely chopped fresh green or purple basil, fresh tarragon, or parsley {I used basil}
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more if needed
• 2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
• Chopped fresh parsley

Scrub the potatoes and put them, whole, in a saucepan with water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook the potatoes gently until they are just tender and can be pierced with a sharp knife. Drain immediately and let cool slightly. (Scrape the skin from the cooked potatoes, if you want, as soon as they can be handled. For a decorative look with fingerlings, scrape off only a band of skin, about 1/2 inch thick, all around the long sides of the potato.)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small saute pan. When hot, add the scallions and the onion, toss to coat well, and cook for about a minute over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, toss to mix, and cook for just a few moments, then remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the potatoes while still warm, cutting them crosswise into 1/2-inch sections. Put the pieces in a large mixing bowl, pour the wine and 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil over them, and toss gently to distribute. Add the warm vegetables from the pan, mustard, chives, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper, and gently fold all together, mixing well but not crushing the potatoes. Taste the salad and add more seasonings as you like.

Serve the potatoes warm (no colder than room temperature). Sprinkle chopped egg and parsley over the top.

Serves 4 to 6.