As you’d expect from a group of Millennials, Instagram is where we get at least half of our cooking inspiration. While we rarely follow links to recipes, photos alone serve as a jumping off point for all types of culinary adventures. A recent post of a deconstructed potato salad arranged on a bed of herby yogurt by Jill Ferguson from @feedtheswimmers led to daydreams of a Greek-style version—creamy yet crisp twice-baked fingerling potatoes served on a bed of cucumber- and garlic-studded tzatziki topped with a host of the usual Greek salad players.
This salad is nearly a meal on its own but would be excellent served alongside any grilled or roasted meat, especially lamb. For a vegetarian meal, toss in some beluga lentils or serve it topped with jammy eggs. And because I like my greens, I’d pair it with simple lemon-and-olive-oil dressed spicy arugula.
Deconstructed Greek Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb small potatoes such as fingerlings or Yukon golds
- Potato seasoning – olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, dried oregano
- 1.5 cups full fat Greek yogurt
- 3 persian cucumbers, grated and squeezed aggressively to remove excess liquid
- 1 small garlic clove, grated on microplane
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Small handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- Small handful Kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced and massaged with a pinch of salt and squirt of lemon and left to quick pickle (or ¼ red onion)
- Handful of fresh dill and mint leaves, plus about 1 tablespoon chopped mint for tzatziki
- Small handful toasted chopped walnuts
- Small handful crumbled feta (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon (½ for tzatziki, ½ for finished dish), plus a little juice to pickle the onion
Method
Prepare the potatoes: In a heavy sauce pot, cover the potatoes in about 1-2 inches of water and add a small handful of salt. Put over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, covered. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes. You want the potatoes to be easily pierced with the tip of a knife but they don’t need to be cooked 100% through. They may need a few more minutes. Once there, drain, then return to the pot and cover with a clean dish towel to steam and then cool for 10-15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees so it’s ready for you.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer them from the heavy sauce pot to a cutting board. Lightly drizzle a sheet pan with olive oil. Gently smash each potato so its about ½ inch thick (I like to use the bottom of my sauce pot for this), then gently transfer to the oiled sheet pan. Drizzle with additional oil then season generously with salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a few shakes of granulated garlic, red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Flip the potatoes in the seasonings, again being careful not to break them apart. Roast for 10 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, flip, and roast for an additional 9 minutes. Each side should be nicely brown and crisp. Remove from the oven to cool.
Meanwhile, prep the rest of your ingredients: To make the tzatziki, use a box grater to grate the 3 persian cucumbers onto a clean dish towel. Using the towel, ring and squeeze the grated cucumber, removing as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a medium boil and mix in the 1.5 cups Greek yogurt, 1 clove grated garlic, zest of ½ lemon, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grounds fresh pepper. Set aside.
Prep the tomatoes, olives, shallot (or red onion), fresh herbs, toasted walnuts and crumbled feta (if using).
Plate: Spread the tzatziki generously over the bottom of a large platter. Top with the cooled, twice-roasted potatoes. Shower with the cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, pickled onions, fresh herbs, toasted walnuts and crumbled feta (if using). Finish the whole thing with a zest of the remaining ½ lemon. Finish with a little fresh lemon juice if you like. ENJOY!
Serves: 4 people