An Utterly Perfect Potato Salad

Play Me a Recipe

Some genius swaps turn a forgettable cookout extra into a boom-wham-pow side that steals the show! Listen along as Food52's Director of Content, Brinda Ayer, cooks her way through Monifa Dayo's recipe for The Best Potato Salad Ever.

Recipe
Serves 6 to 8

• 4 shallots, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 4 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pint full-fat yogurt (Straus is best)
• 1 cup aioli (classic recipe will do, or store-bought)
• 1 cup capers, drained
• 1 bunch parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
• 8 large eggs
• Flaky salt or fleur de sel, for garnish
• 1 handful tarragon, leaves picked but not chopped, for garnish
• 1 handful dill, leaves picked but not chopped, for garnish
• Fresh coriander seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Finely dice the shallots, place in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar and 1½ tablespoons salt.
2. Place the potatoes in a pot filled with super-salty water. Boil gently until the water is cloudy and the potatoes are fork-tender. Strain the potatoes in a colander, drain off the water, then let cool on a sheet pan.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to touch, peel and discard the skins. Once peeled, use your hands to break the potatoes into smaller pieces.
4. Drain the vinegar from the shallots over the potatoes and drizzle generously with the oil. Add the drained shallots. Gently mix with your hands. sprinkle heavily with the pepper and add more oil. Spoon large dollops of yogurt and aioli in each corner. Add the capers. Sprinkle the parsley and cilantro on top.
5. Gently mix with your hands or a large spoon, being careful to leave each element intact and distinct.
6. meantime, bring water to boil in a small Dutch oven. Just before the water boils, crack a few eggs in the water, making sure to ever so gently swirl the water. Poach the eggs until the yolks are set but soft, keeping the water below a simmer. Retrieve the eggs from the water and lightly dry on a towel. Season each egg with fleur de sel and oil. Let cool.
7. Place the eggs atop the potato salad. Using a spoon, cut a few into halves and some into quarters. Ever so gently, with your hands, incorporate the eggs into the salad. You want to show off the yolks, but you also want some of the eggs nestled in the potatoes.
8. Spoon the salad onto a serving dish, drizzle with additional oil, and season with more black pepper and the fleur de sel. Garnish with the tarragon and dill. If in season, sprinkle fresh coriander seeds on top as well. Enjoy!

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Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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