Potato Salad with Olives
A light potato salad without mayonnaise, dressed with olive oil and lemon; green olives and capers bring the salt.
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Mediterranean
Mediterranean potato salad is made with olive oil rather than mayonnaise, and that is not merely a change of ingredient but a different dish altogether. The mayonnaise version is cold and heavy; the olive-oil one can be served warm, is light, and will sit out for hours — which is why it is the one that turns up at picnics and barbecues.
The decisive point is that the dressing goes onto warm potatoes. The starch in warm potato has gelatinised and absorbs liquid; dressing poured over cold potatoes sits on the surface. The same ingredients give two different results, and the only difference is timing.
Directions
- Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water for 18-20 minutes, until a fork goes in easily.
- Drain and, once cool enough to handle, cut in half or quarters — they absorb the dressing better while warm.
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and fold gently.
- Add the olives, capers, onion and parsley and toss together.
- Rest for 15 minutes and serve at room temperature.
Tips & storage
Boil them in their skins. Peeled potatoes take on water and turn soggy; the skin holds both starch and flavour in. Once cool enough to handle the skin slips off between your fingers — or leave it on, if you prefer.
Dress them warm. The one real rule of this recipe. Dressing poured over cold potatoes is not absorbed.
The mustard is not incidental. Olive oil and lemon juice will not combine on their own; the mucilage in mustard acts as an emulsifier and binds the dressing. A teaspoon is enough and contributes no mustard flavour.
Choose small potatoes. Large ones break up on the outside while the centre is still raw. Keep them all the same size.
Take the edge off the red onion. Slice into rings and soak for ten minutes in cold water; it stays mellow in the salad even a day later.
Capers and olives raise the salt together. Season last, by tasting.
Storage. Two days in the fridge. Containing no mayonnaise, it can sit out for three or four hours at a picnic.
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