Potato Salad with Gremolata Dressing

On Friday when we launched the very
first Cooking Light magazine
Virtual Supper Club I enjoyed preparing the Maple Grilled Salmon to share with the ladies. Since the meal was a virtual one, then here at home I needed to prepare something simple and tasty to accompany my salmon dish. What I came up with is the best potato salad I have had in some time. So refreshing and light tasting I don't know why I haven't thought of it before!!! Since the dressing uses no mayonnaise it would be perfect for picnic lunches as well!!!

The gremolata-inspired dressing (with parsley, lemon, and garlic) adds a twist to this salad that appealed to me. Gremolata, which can also be spelled “gremolada,” is a condiment that is traditionally served with Ossobucco alla Milanese ( an Italian dish of braised veal shanks). Gremolata is a chopped herb condiment made of garlic, parsley, and lemon peel. Although it is a common accompaniment to veal, the citrus element in gremolata makes it a wonderful addition to seafood dishes so serving it alongside the salmon was the perfect choice!!!

Some chefs add finely chopped mint to their gremolata, or completely replace the parsley with mint. This would be perfect for this potato salad as well. With the addition of mint in the gremolata dressing, consider adding a dash of white sugar to bring out the sweetness of the mint.

Steaming your potatoes is a good alternative to boiling and allows you to retain a lot of their nutrients. Ideally you need a steamer, but it is possible to improvise by using a big steel cooking sieve across the top of a saucepan and the correct lid to seal it. Steaming is a bit slower than boiling because the heat conduction isn't quite as good but the advantage is that if the potato is floury it won't fall apart quite so quickly as if you boiled it. Also, if it's a coloured potato like Salad Blue, Congo or in this case Red Bliss, it will keep its colour much better on cooking.

** Potato Salad with Gremolata Dressing**
Printable Recipe

1/2 pound small white potatoes
1/2 pound small red potatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained

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Steam potatoes, covered, 12 minutes or until tender. Cover and set aside.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. To this slowly add the olive oil, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in lemon rind and garlic; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and capers.

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and add to gremolata mixture, tossing well to coat.