Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings

by Dorothy Reinhold on May 18, 2014


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Do you ever take something apart and eat the pieces individually? We do that with Oreos, of course, but it’s fun sometimes to eat the pieces and parts of something rather than the whole.

So when the Idaho Potato Commission asked the Sunday Supper group to come up with Potato Salad Possibilities today, I thought it would be fun to deconstruct a traditional potato salad, and serve it in a disheveled state.

Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comI used some of the traditional things that go into potato salad, but treated them in a new way. The potatoes became fingerlings fried first in a skillet and finished in the oven, smoked just slightly by fancy paprika. The eggs got sliced, and the mayo dressing got tarted up with lemon juice, garlic and tangy olives.

Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comIt worked! You have to try this spud salad. It is soooo good! 

Recipe: Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings

IMG_3944-1-600squareSummary: Tender Idaho® fingerling potatoes are nestled with hard-cooked eggs and dressed in a lemony, olive-studded mayo for a deconstructed potato salad.

Ingredients

Salad

  • 16 Idaho® fingerling potatoes
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could use 75%/25% regular paprika and ground cayenne pepper)
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 hard-cooked eggs
  • 1 scallion, chopped (or use chopped chives)

Dressing

  • 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed or finely minced
  • 10 pitted Kalamata olives, finely minced

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400F degrees.Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.com
  2. Wash potatoes, dry and slice in half, vertically. Add them to a large bowl, along with the salt and paprika, and stir to coat all potatoes well and distribute the spice.Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.com
  3. Heat a 12-inch skillet (that can later go in the oven) for about 5 minutes, then add oil, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan, and one by one, add potato halves, cut side down, arranging so all fit in the pan. Adjust heat to medium and cook without touching them for 5 minutes. (Do not be tempted to cook them longer.)Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.com
  4. Turn burner off, and using a tongs, carefully turn each potato half so the cut side is up. Slide pan into the oven and roast for 10 minutes. (Do not be tempted to cook them longer. They will be done. Poke one with a cake tester to prove it to yourself.)Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.com
  5. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and olives, until well combined. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.
  6. When potatoes are done, remove from oven, and using the tongs, place each potato half on a plate covered with a paper towel, so they will drain.
  7. To assemble the salads: Peel and slice the hard-cooked eggs. To plate the salads, alternate a slice of potato and a slice of egg, repeating, until you have as much as you want on each plate. Spoon on a little bit of the mayo dressing, and sprinkle with green onions or chives to decorate.
  8. Serves 4-6, depending on appetites and what else is on the menu!

Recipe source

Dorothy Reinhold | Shockingly Delicious

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Diet type: Vegetarian
Diet tags: Gluten free
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Culinary tradition: USA (Nouveau)
My rating 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission. All writing, photography and opinions are my own.Deconstructed Potato Salad with Smoky Fingerlings | www.ShockinglyDelicious.com

{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }

Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash May 20, 2014 at 12:01 pm

What a great idea. Never thought of browning the potatoes on top of the stove first. I usually just put them in the oven.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 20, 2014 at 6:41 pm

Patricia,
It really made them quite a bit more delicious!

Reply

Trevor "The Burger Nerd" Davis May 20, 2014 at 8:55 am

Awesome twist on a classic dish. I like that you used olives too. Often I’ll add olives to my regular potato salad and it gives a nice extra salty tang. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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Dorothy Reinhold May 20, 2014 at 10:11 am

Thanks Trevor! Olives and potatoes are married. 🙂

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Melanie | Melanie Makes May 18, 2014 at 8:02 pm

Not only does it sound delicious but it looks amazing as well!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:55 pm

Thanks Melanie! I really adored this recipe!

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Alida May 18, 2014 at 7:07 pm

I love that you fry first and then finish the potatoes in the oven. They have such a nice color and this salad looks amazing!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:55 pm

Alida,
It turned out to be a winning technique!

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Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons May 18, 2014 at 5:58 pm

I kind of went the deconstructed route this week, and I’m glad to see somebody else did, too! I LOVE that chopped olive dressing. So delicious sounding!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:56 pm

I’m telling you, Lori, this olive dressing is AWESOME!

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Susan May 18, 2014 at 5:44 pm

I can picture this served at a 5-start restaurant! What a creative and surprising way to serve potato salad.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:56 pm

Susan,
You know what, it IS a special restaurant-style dish! I LOVED it!

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Carla May 18, 2014 at 4:33 pm

Very clever way to make potato salad! Usually you don’t think deconstructed.

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:57 pm

Thanks, Carla. It’s fun to think and cook outside the box. 🙂

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Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) May 18, 2014 at 3:13 pm

This is very creative!! Love how visually appealing this is…

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:57 pm

Wendy,
So glad you like it! I was wondering if people would like the way6 it looked…

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Cindys Recipes and Writings May 18, 2014 at 2:12 pm

Kalamata olives sound like a great choice!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:58 pm

Cindy,
Kalamata olives could make DIRT taste amazing, eh?

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Besty @ dessertsrequired May 18, 2014 at 1:41 pm

Love this. I would never have thought to take it apart like you did. Looks amazing!!!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:58 pm

Betsy,
I think I got lazy. 🙂

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Heather // girlichef May 18, 2014 at 10:19 am

Yum, this looks delicious. Constructed…deconstructed…I’d devour it in any form!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:58 pm

Heather,
I ate on it for 3 days. Sorry it is all gone now. Must. Make. MORE!

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Bea May 18, 2014 at 10:15 am

Dorothy – again this is perfection. I may just have to take a road trip and eat at your house 🙂

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:59 pm

Bea,
You stop by ANY TIME!

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Alice // Hip Foodie Mom May 18, 2014 at 10:04 am

Dorothy, I absolutely love this!!! great idea to add the hard boiled egg slices in there. .. love it! and your sauce is kind of similar to mine with the mustard, lemon juice, and garlic . . love that with the potatoes .. yumm! delicious!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 8:59 pm

Alice,
Great minds are on the same track…. 🙂

Reply

The Ninja Baker May 18, 2014 at 9:50 am

Your potato salad is brilliant and oh, so very gourmet, Dorothy. It’s still breakfast time but I’m now wanting to whip up your potato salad!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Kim,
Can I admit I ate this for breakfast one day?

Reply

Seduction In The Kitchen May 18, 2014 at 8:45 am

Ohhh this looks sooo good!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Seduction,
This is RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY!

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Family Foodie May 18, 2014 at 8:29 am

This is such a fun idea! Can’t wait to try it.

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Thanks Family Foodie/Isabel!
You must. I think your family will love it.

Reply

FoodieArmyWife May 18, 2014 at 8:13 am

I love what you did with this. What a great twist on a potato salad!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:01 pm

Foodie Army,
Just a tiny alteration can make all the difference!

Reply

Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers May 18, 2014 at 6:32 am

YUM! I am sooooooooo loving this potato salad! It looks just amazing!!

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:02 pm

Jennifer,
Seriously, it tastes AMAZING. I want more right now and it is all gone.

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Hezzi-D May 18, 2014 at 4:26 am

This is gorgeous! I love the layered, deconstructed look of if and the multi-colored potatoes are simply beautiful.

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:03 pm

Hezzi/Heather,
It is really fun to play with the multi colored fingerlings!

Reply

Renee May 18, 2014 at 3:36 am

I spy a salad I could eat for days. Love the frying the fingerlings first before roasting.

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Dorothy Reinhold May 18, 2014 at 9:04 pm

Renee,
This is a winning technique!

Reply

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