Potato salad with mustard vinaigrette, parsley pesto and crumbled bacon – the perfect potato smørrebrød (open-faced rye bread sandwich).
Potato salad with mustard vinaigrette, parsley pesto and crumbled bacon is one of those dishes that simply tastes of spring and summer. It is fresh, substantial and crisp all at once – and works just as well as a side for the barbecue or oven-roasted chicken as it does served with Danish rye bread (rugbrød) for a hearty lunch, where you build your own perfect potato smørrebrød.
The dish is inspired by a lunch Jes and I once had at Sønderho Kro on the island of Fanø. Lunch there typically comes as a series of small dishes, and this particular potato course was the one that stayed with us afterwards. It was so simple – and yet so full of flavour – that I had to go home and try to recreate it. And now I have finally got it exactly the way I want it.
The potatoes are what make or break this salad. Use really good ones – and when they are in season, go for new potatoes, Danish ones if you can get them. The flavour and texture make all the difference.
If you are on Fanø, try Rindby potatoes. They are, hands down, some of the best potatoes I have ever tasted. I honestly didn’t think there was that much difference between potatoes – but there is.
The small boiled potatoes are tossed in a mustard vinaigrette made with wholegrain mustard, lemon, honey and olive oil. The salad is then topped with a fresh homemade parsley pesto and plenty of crisp, crumbled bacon. The combination of soft potatoes, sharp vinaigrette, aromatic pesto and salty bacon is simply superb.
A truly lovely potato salad that can be served all year round – but which belongs above all to spring and summer.
Potato salad with mustard, parsley pesto and crumbled bacon
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- 750 g small potatoes
- Parsley stalks and a few peppercorns (optional)
- Salt
Parsley pesto
- 25 g pine nuts, toasted
- 50 g parsley, curly or flat-leaf
- 1/2-1 cloves garlic
- 25 g Parmesan, roughly chopped
- 50 ml olive oil
- Salt
Mustard vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
- 140 g bacon rashers
- Danish rye bread (rugbrød), optional
Method
The potatoes
- Boil the potatoes in a pan of plenty of well-salted water, adding the parsley stalks and a few peppercorns if you like. Boil for about 6 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and leave the potatoes to stand, covered, for about 15 minutes or until tender. The time depends on their size.Peel them or leave the skins on.
The pesto
- Put all the ingredients in a mini chopper or similar and blend until the pesto has the texture you want – coarse or smooth, it is up to you. Season to taste with salt, and loosen it with a splash of water or a little extra oil if you would like it thinner.
To finish
- Fry the bacon in a frying pan until really crisp, then leave it to cool on kitchen paper. Chop it finely.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the mustard vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Toss the warm potatoes in the vinaigrette and transfer them to a serving bowl. Top with spoonfuls of parsley pesto and scatter over the crumbled bacon.
- Serve as a side dish with dinner, or serve with rye bread and build the most delicious potato smørrebrød.
Nutrition
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