Crispy Potato Salad with Olives and Herbs
Are you ready to step up your potato salad game? Imagine ultra-crispy smashed potatoes mingling with buttery brined olives, fresh herbs, and a bright, tangy lemon and shallot vinaigrette. Perhaps you’re a classic potato salad eater, but give this modern potato salad a try. It takes just one extra step after boiling the potatoes, and you will be in potato salad nirvana.
The Most Smashing Potatoes
Potatoes are an undeniable staple on the table. Just consider how many ways you can cook them, from baked potatoes, steamed potatoes, roasted potatoes, and mashed potatoes to french fries, potato salad, and potatoes gratin…the list goes on and on! Now I don’t know about you, but with all of the potato dishes out there, the smashed potato wasn’t something I grew up eating. But I think it could be now one of my favorite ways to eat a potato. All it takes it boiling small potatoes until tender, then smashing them with the bottom of a mug or cup so that they flatten a bit and the skin cracks. Once you heat up some blended oil in a skillet, you quickly pan-fry the tots until they’re extra crispy-crunchy on the outside, and tender and creamy on the inside. Those cracked nooks and crannies are built to soak up the bright lemony dressing, creating the most epic tasting potato salad you will ever have.
A Crispy Potato Salad Secret from Chefs
Not all oils are created equally, but they all have plenty of purpose, from salads and drizzling to frying and even poaching! I often use olive oil for its healthy properties and because it adds such excellent flavor to recipes, but not all types of olive oil are the same, especially when it comes to frying. As a rule, extra-virgin olive oil has a smoke point of about 375°, which is lower than many other cooking oils, like vegetable, canola, and avocado oil. For frying, avocado oil is amazing; its smoke point is as high as 520°! To make these ultra-crispy pan-fried potatoes, the 50/50 blend of olive and avocado oil creates the perfect balance of flavor and durability. Chefs love a good oil blend, so you’ll find plenty of blended oil in restaurant kitchens. You can make your own, or buy pre-blended versions, such as California Olive Ranch Avocado Blend. For a double dose of olives, serve these potatoes with my Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Olive-Pepper Salsa Verde.
Crispy Potato Salad with Olives and Herbs
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby gold potatoes
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons mixed avocado and olive oils, plus more for frying, See Note
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and crushed
- 1 cup parsley leaves, torn
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, torn
- ½ cup mint leaves, torn
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a pot, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil, then add a small handful of kosher salt. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread them on a large rimmed baking sheet to cool slightly. Using the bottom of a mug or cup, gently smash the potatoes to flatten them slightly.
- In a large skillet, heat ¼ inch of the blended oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the potatoes in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to cool. Add more blended oil, if necessary, and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
- In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice with the shallot, garlic, and the 2 tablespoons of blended oil. Add the potatoes, olives, parsley, cilantro, and mint; toss well. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve.
