Italian Potato Salad: Chastised by the Master

When I looked for potato salad recipes in Marcella Hazan’s Essential of Classic Italian Cooking, under the heading, she might as well had written, “fool, it’s potatoes, olive oil, vinegar and a little salt.” After that chastisement she slams the door on the topic. She so much as says if you have to ask all is lost. You are a hopeless dolt. But instead she more politely writes:

“In taking the measure of a good home cook, many Italians might agree that among the criteria there would have to be the quality of the potato salad. Not that there is any mystery about what goes into it: It’s just potatoes, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. No onions, eggs mayonnaise, herbs or other curiosities. But the choice of potatoes has to be right. . . .” 

Following Hazan’s lead, I might offer this ‘recipe’ on this Midwest classic -- parsley buttered potatoes: In taking the measure of a good home cook, many Midwesterners might agree that among the criteria there would have to be the quality of the parsley buttered potatoes. . . . Get my drift.

It’s unfair and a cruel joke on those of us seeking the keys to unlock the mysteries of Italian cuisine. Later on in the chapter on salads she tells us about Insalatone – Mixed Cooked Vegetable Salad. “It takes a considerable amount of time to assemble all of the components of this magnificent cooked salad. . . .”

Her “magnificent” cooked salad is a potato salad with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. It includes: baked onions, beets, bell peppers and boiled green beans and potatoes. The door she slammed shut with potato salad is opened wide in her mixed vegetable salad.

I have no complaints with Hazan offering slices of boiled served warm and simply dressed, like parsley buttered potatoes, with oil and vinegar instead. But to end the discussion there is foolish.

The potato salad pictured here, as part of a simple luncheon plate, with smoked salmon, a cucumber salad and tomatoes, builds on the idea of potatoes dressed with oil and vinegar as foundation for an eclectic variety of potato salads. Potatoes dressed simply with oil and vinegar is like a blank canvas.

This salad features fresh parsley, basil, thinly sliced green onions and topped with crumbled feta cheese.

This recipe will serve 4 to 6

1 ½ Pounds of Salad Potatoes (red or Yukon Gold)

½ Cup of Red Wine Vinegar

½ Cup of Olive Oil

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 Tbs Minced Garlic

2 tsp Dijon Style Mustard

6 Fresh Basil Leaves Chopped

6 Sprigs of Parsley Chopped

3 Oz Feta Cheese Crumbled

6 Green Onions Thinly Sliced

Mix all of the ingredients excepting the potatoes, green onions and Feta cheese into a vinaigrette. I know. I’m lazy too. I could have you dispense with all of this and use a store bought “Italian” oil and vinegar salad dressing. Doing so would ruin all. The idea is to highlight the flavor of the parsley and basil.

Boil, peel and cut the potatoes. Add the sliced green onion and toss with the dressing. Make the salad three hours before serving, mixing periodically to let the flavors meld and infuse the potatoes. Top with crumbled feta cheese when serving.