Herby Potato Salad With Smashed Olives

As with coleslaw, there are two schools of potato salad: the mayonnaise-based and the vinegar-based. This recipe plants itself firmly in the latter camp with bright, punchy flavors. The dressing here is a classic red-wine vinegar and Dijon vinaigrette that develops great flavor after marinating with capers, smashed green olives and thinly sliced shallots. Just fifteen minutes in the dressing softens the shallot’s bite, and a quick soak brings canned olives to life. There may appear to be too much dressing when you add the cooked potatoes, but as the potatoes cool, they’ll absorb it beautifully. (The key is to add them to the dressing as soon as they are cool enough to handle.) Any small potatoes will work for this recipe, and a mix of colors looks particularly nice. The most important detail is that the potatoes should be roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.

Ingredients

• 2

  pounds small (or baby) red or Yukon Gold potatoes, all about the same size

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2

  tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1

  teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ⅓

  cup olive oil

• 1

  cup Castelvetrano or other green olives, pitted and smashed (about 4 ounces)

• 1

  large shallot, thinly sliced

• 2

  tablespoons capers, roughly chopped

• 3

  tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 3

  tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot; add 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until just tender when pierced with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook!) Drain and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
2. While the potatoes cook, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar and mustard with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the olives, shallot and capers, and set aside to marinate for 10 to 20 minutes.
3. When the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut them in half (or quarters, to end up with bite-size pieces), and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Gently combine and set aside to cool completely, tossing occasionally.
4. Stir in the mint and parsley, along with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve the potato salad at room temperature.