I’m not a huge fan of mayonnaise-based salads.
Don’t get me wrong – mayonnaise in and of itself is delicious, especially when it’s homemade. I like dipping bulots into it and putting it on tuna sandwiches and even eating it with cold roast beef. But as a salad base? Pass, thanks.
But that’s not to say I don’t like potato salads. In fact, seeing as the temperatures have already begun to rise in Paris, potato salad is about to, once again, become a staple on our dinner table.
My method of making potato salad is, however, a bit different: I like my potato salads to have a vinaigrette base, and I also like them to be a meal in and of themselves, which means that potatoes tend to play a supporting role to other delicious ingredients.
I’ve long been a big fan of fish, and my favorites are the deeply flavorful ones: salmon (and more sustainable trout), eel, sardines, anchovies… all are commonplace in this house. They tend to be richer in essential omega 3 fatty acids, and if you choose smaller fatty fish, they’re also more sustainable.
Despite this love, I haven’t really eaten much mackerel in my life, but when my co-op offered black-pepper-crusted smoked mackerel, I jumped right on the bandwagon. (Love me some black pepper and some smoke.) When paired with relatively mild potatoes and a touch of sweetness from homemade pickled eggs and beets, it made for a super delicious meal salad that’s easy to prepare and just as tasty hot as cold.
Beet and Mackerel Potato Salad (serves 2)
2 cooked beets
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup water
200 grams potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
150 grams smoked, pepper-crusted mackerel
1 red onion, thinly sliced
The day before serving, slice the beets into half-moons and peel the eggs. Combine in a glass jar. Whisk together the vinegar, honey, and water, and pour over the beets and eggs to cover completely. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
The next day, boil or steam the potatoes for 20 minutes, until tender. (Peel if you like; don’t if you don’t.)
Whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle (but still warm!) toss with the dressing. (At this point, the potatoes can be refrigerated until ready to serve, for a cold salad, or you can continue with the recipe as written, for a warm salad.)
Drain the eggs and beets. Slice the eggs in half and arrange over the top of the salad, along with the beets. Slice the mackerel, and sprinkle both the mackerel and onion over the top. (You can toss if you like, but the beets will stain everything!)
Serve alone or over a bed of spinach or mache.