This potato salad recipe defies the rule that very good food cannot be made in a hurry. This salad is delicious with an intensely sour dressing that coats the potatoes, will coat your ongue, and just might motivate you to open up a beer. Green Goddess Dressing has origins draped in mystery. According to Wikipedia, it was created at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923. I remember my parents going to Trader Vic’s in Portland in the 50’s and raving about the “new” dressing.
Green Goddess has a wonderfully powerful flavor, the perfect match for boiled potatoes — which to be honest are not inherently flavorful, no matter how much salt you cook them in.
You can double or triple this recipe and feed a party at the weekend barbeque. This salad is wonderful with burgers and dogs hot off the grill.
Potato Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
3 pounds cooked small potatoes, new red or white boiling potatoes, cooled to room temperature and quartered or halved, depending upon size
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or white-wine vinegar
3 scallions, chopped
3 flat anchovy fillets, chopped, or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Cook the potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water over high heat, until fork tender, but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Pulse the mayonnaise, vinegar, scallions, anchovies, parsley, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a food processor until dressing is pale green and the herbs are finely chopped. Stir into the room temperature potatoes.
Source: Gourmet Magazine