French Potato Salad with Bacon
Submitted by norly
French potato salad with crispy bacon, shallots, red wine vinegar, and olive oil tossed with warm new potatoes. No mayo, just a tangy vinaigrette that soaks right in.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minForget the heavy, mayo-laden potato salad you grew up with. This French version dresses warm new potatoes in a sharp red wine vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette while they’re still hot, so they absorb every bit of flavor. Crispy bacon crumbled on top and sauteed shallots tossed throughout give it a savory depth that cold, mayo-dressed versions can’t touch.
Dressing the potatoes while they’re hot is the whole trick. Warm starch acts like a sponge and pulls the vinaigrette into the center of each piece. Cold potatoes just sit there with dressing on the surface.
Using the bacon fat to saute the shallots is smart and intentional. That rendered fat carries smoky flavor into the shallots and then into the dressing when everything gets tossed together. Don’t waste it.
Pro Tips
- Cook the potatoes until tender but still firm. Overcooked potatoes crumble when tossed and turn the salad into mush.
- Start the potatoes in cold water, not boiling. This cooks them more evenly from outside to center.
- Bring the salad back to room temperature before serving. Straight from the fridge, the olive oil congeals and the flavors taste muted.
- Toss gently. New potatoes break apart easily, and aggressive stirring turns this into a potato hash.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of whole grain Dijon mustard to the vinaigrette for a sharper, more traditional French dressing.
- Toss in cornichons or capers for a briny punch alongside the bacon.
- Use fingerling potatoes for a more elegant presentation that holds its shape beautifully.
Ingredients
Directions
Scrub potatoes and quarter them and drop into a kettle of cold salted water.
Bring to a boil, and cook until tender but still firm about 8 to 10 minutes after water reaches boil.
Meanwhile, chop the bacon and sauté in a small skillet until crisp.
Remove bacon and reserve.
In the bacon fat, sauté chopped shallots until tender but not at all brown, about 5 minutes or so.
Reserve shallots and fat.
When the potatoes are done, drain them and drop them into a mixing bowl.
Pour vinegar, olive oil, shallots, and reserved bacon fat over the still hot potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and gently toss.
Add purple onion and parsley and toss again.
Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.
Before serving bring back to room temperature, toss, correct seasonings, and add additional oil and vinegar, if the salad seems dry.
Sprinkle reserved bacon on top.
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