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Smashed Japanese Sweet Potatoes

By
ZAIN
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Smashed Sweet Potatoes served on plate with two forks and a cup of drink

A new TABLE Magazine favorite for Meatless Monday, these oven-roasted, smashed sweet potatoes are hardly a sacrifice. Veda Sanakaran’s layers of flavors build up from the potato foundation to turmeric and chili and then the umami of crushed sheets of nori and a drizzle of ghee. Unforgettable!

What’s the Difference Between Japanese Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes?

Even though sweet potatoes and Japanese sweet potatoes are both root vegetables, that’s about where the similarities end for these two. Standard orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, the kind most common in the U.S., are known for their very sweet, moist, and soft texture when cooked, often with a subtle, earthy flavor. Japanese sweet potatoes, on the other hand, have a purplish-red skin but a creamy white, starchy flesh. Their flavor is less sugary and more like roasted chestnuts. The texture is also more dry, dense, and flaky.

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Smashed Sweet Potatoes served on plate with two forks and a cup of drink

Smashed Japanese Sweet Potatoes

  • Author: Veda Sankaran
Print Recipe

Description

Ditch the American sweet potatoes and indulge in something more exotic.

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut off the ends of the sweet potatoes and discard. Then, cut the potatoes into thirds and boil for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife can be inserted easily.
  3. Drain in a colander and let sit for 5 minutes before placing on baking sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking oil spray.
  4. Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a potato masher to carefully flatten each piece. Sometimes facing the skin side up will make it easier to smash the potato. Leave the skins on, as they will crisp and taste delicious.
  5. Let the smashed potatoes sit for at least 10 more minutes on the baking sheets before generously drizzling with the melted ghee and olive oil. This will help the crisp. Then sprinkle on the spices. If using nori, crush it to a powder before sprinkling on the potatoes.
  6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then dab the tops of the potatoes with the butter and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes become crispy.

Notes

This recipe doesn’t call for salt as the Icelandic sea kelp or the nori provides the saltiness. But you can garnish with a light sprinkling of a finishing salt like Maldon sea salt or Spanish black sea salt if you’d like.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Recipe by Veda Sankaran
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
White Plate by Revol 
Blue Plates by Jono Pandolfi

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Cantaloupe 75: A French 75 Twist

By
Abdul Rafay
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0
A delightful and refreshing twist on the classic Cantaloupe 75 cocktail, featuring the essence of ripe cantaloupe, sparkling wine, gin, and a hint of zesty citrus, served in an elegant glass.
Homemade cantaloupe simple syrup adds a mild, sweet flavor to this play on a French 75.

Brunch cocktails rarely stray from classic Bloody Marys and mimosas. We at TABLE, however, are offering a new drink to pair with your boozy breakfasts, The Cantaloupe 75.

How is This Cocktail Different from a normal French 75? 

Riffed from the traditional, bubbly French 75, the Cantaloupe 75 features a homemade cantaloupe simple syrup. It makes for a delicious, mildly-sweet cocktail that is the perfect lead-in to a big Sunday brunch. The regular French 75 has no fruit in it, only gin, sparkling wine, and lemon juice. This one takes it up a notch with the addition of melon. For your sparkling wine, it also could pay off to use one that already has melon tasting notes, like this 2022 Bianco Petillant Naturel from Channing Daughters Winery. You’ll want to keep the Cantaloupe 75 your arsenal for spring and summer, too!

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A delightful and refreshing twist on the classic Cantaloupe 75 cocktail, featuring the essence of ripe cantaloupe, sparkling wine, gin, and a hint of zesty citrus, served in an elegant glass.

Cantaloupe 75: A French 75 Twist

  • Author: Maggie Weaver
Print Recipe

Description

A twist on a French 75. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ oz gin
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz cantaloupe syrup
  • Sparkling wine
  • Cantaloupe and thyme, for garnish

Instructions

For the syrup:

  1. Simmer 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, and 2 cups cubed cantaloupe for 10 minutes.
  2. Let cool. Strain into a jar.
  3. Add a sprig of fresh thyme.
  4. Keeps up to a month in the refrigerator.

For the cocktail:

  1. Add the gin, lemon juice, and syrup to a shaker and shake with ice.
  2. Pour the shaken mixture into a stemmed champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.
  3. Garnish and enjoy your twist on a traditional French 75!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Recipe by Maggie Weaver
Photography by Dave Bryce

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How Lisa Fontanarosa Built a Life Filled with Flowers

By
Gabe Gomez
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0
Seated woman with flowers, crafts, and dried lavender, Lisa Fontanarosa

An international design business, a lavender farm, an apple orchard, and flower gardens. These define the life that entrepreneur Lisa Fontanarosa has built in an old adobe compound on Rio Grande Boulevard in Albuquerque.

Fontanarosa and JJ Ornelas bought the 1900s adobe in 2017. Since then, she has been reimagining the home and erstwhile mini donkey farm. The spot includes a casita, a wooden A-frame, a lavender and dried flower studio, a lavender field, and a chicken coop near the old stables. Flower beds containing dahlias and cosmos fill one section of the property. An apple orchard fronts Rio Grande Boulevard. At the time of this writing, a greenhouse is under construction.

Finding Inspiration

The compound reflects Fontanarosa’s eclectic array of business and personal interests. A trip to Naples as a young girl, where Fontanarosa experienced long lunches served outside with flower centerpieces and elegant table settings, sparked a love of international travel, design, and fashion.

She spent her early career revolving around the New York fashion scene, working at Conde Nast magazines such as Vogue and Architectural Digest. It was a window dressing job for the Henri Bendel store’s “Street of Shops” that solidified her love of interior design. This led, ultimately, to an international design career and the founding of Lisa Fontanarosa Collections in 1997. “I traveled the globe looking for handmade pieces that speak to my heart: lighting, textiles, and objects that are as visceral as works of art and that, like all of us, are beautiful in their imperfection,” she says.

In 2000, the New York Times featured her collection, and more international press followed. Since then, she has worked with artists and designers on custom pieces for Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, and hotels and hospitality projects around the world.

One-of-a-Kind Creations

The business revolves around providing one-of-a-kind commissions from artists Fontanarosa represents, products showcased in the renovated, light-filled casita. Items range from delicate and sparkly sculptural lamps to textiles to rustic yet elegant handmade ceramics. Some of the items are one-of-a-kinds, now out of production, and all are handmade: Poetic wire chandeliers, sculptures from Marie Christophe France. Hand-dyed velvet and linen pillows from Adam & Victoria Sweden. Handwoven textiles of Bonita Ahuja, London. “And, of course, all of my artisan lavender products that I made from the lavender in my field,” she says.

Lisa Fontanarosa Collections’ success means she has one foot in France, whose culture and lifestyle for which she has a particular fondness. Her discovery of Marie Christophe while wandering the streets of Paris led to a favorite point in her career. In 2009, the Paris boutique Colette asked her to style an exhibition based on upcycled materials. “I conceived three pieces from three different artists, but the showstopper was the bicycle in wire I asked Marie Christophe France to create.”

Over 25 years, her career has taken her all over the world, working with A-List designers and style makers. “I style products and delve into the DNA of a brand, always imagining a fairytale, curating a world of beauty filled with poetic pieces,” she says. “I love unexpected details, overlooked materials, color, and elements of surprise.”

Falling in Love with New Mexico

While she moved to Albuquerque in 1992, Jo’s Farm — named after her mother Josephine — has influenced new creative, floral projects. “The property inspired us to add lavender, cosmo, and dahlia fields, garden patios, and fruit trees,” she says. Last summer, Jo’s Farm hosted a U-Pick event in the lavender field, and will be repeated again this summer. Community vendors will be inited to sell homemade wares. “I am playing around with … dried floral sculptures and embellishing my vintage dress forms (a few sourced from Paris) with flowers from my garden.”

As it evolves, Fontanarosa envisions Jo’s Farm as the palette for her creations: a living example of her deep and worldly mix of passions where people can discover unique décor, as well as lavender, vegetables, and flowers—a  celebration of home in color, texture, and style.

Story by Emily Esterson / Photography by Tira Howard / Styling by Keith Recker

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A Rooftop Movie Night Under The Stars

By
Star Laliberte
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0
a few people sitting on furniture on a rooftop watching a movie on a screen with lights strung overhead and a small tabletop fire to the side

Host a rooftop movie night under the stars, or transform your yard into a movie viewing oasis with cocktails and tasty bites.

When my partner and I schemed our summer bucket list, Dylan’s top priority was gaining access to our roof. Years prior, a maintenance team had sealed the opening, and I’d given up on rooftop hangs, but Dylan was persistent. I was, admittedly, more nervous about the endeavor. However, once he sawed through the closure, I was obsessed with the potential of the space. 

My designer brain went into overdrive. Within a day of access, I had paint swatches and mood boards of Moroccan riads and tropical courtyards. By day two, I had sourced a furniture set on Facebook marketplace, half of which had to be heaved up the side of the building. Within a week, I had painted a huge swath of the roof in layers of earthy pinks and adobe reds. By the time I was done painting, my face was equally earthy red — a rooftop at noon is no joke, but that was the weather window I had. So be it!

As all the obsessive details came together, an idea was born; how cool would it be to host a movie on the roof?!? I sent out the invite texts and began brainstorming popcorn flavors, sweet movie treats, and a list of films. 

In the meantime, I asked my good friend Lisa Considine to lend her expertise on the cocktail front. The good news is you, too, can channel her cocktail skills for your own backyard movie night. Lisa is one-half of Lo Bar Cocktail Services, a comprehensive mobile bar and cocktail catering business. Whether or not you have a rooftop at your disposal, you too can host a memorable outdoor movie night with all the best snacks and drinks. 

Host Your Own Movie Night:

The Setup:

There are a lot of affordable projector and screen options out there. I recommend a projector with a built-in sound system to make the outdoor setup easier. My screen conveniently folds into a bag with a handle, so I’m ready to take movie watching all over the place.

Movie Choices:

I asked my friend and film/theater buff, Brittanny Spinelli, for some screening advice. She suggested classics that guests have most likely seen before, so if you end up talking through the movie, you’re not missing a major plot twist. Think Jaws, Jurassic Park, Goonies, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, or Princess Bride. We both agreed that anything by Wes Anderson is on the table too.

a fig flatbread and a corn and peach flatbread, both on colorful plates, a stack of pineapple printed plates on each side of the photo with two more plate stacks, one pink and one blue. Everything is sitting on a very colorful printed piece of fabric that is on a wooden pallet

The Menu: 

-Welcome Cocktail: Hibiscus Margarita

-Grilled Flatbreads: Start with your trusty pizza crust recipe. Or, simplify, and lean on your favorite flatbread or pre-made pizza dough. I like the ancient grain pizza dough from Whole Foods. Then, try both of these combinations.

    • Pesto, Grilled Corn, Grilled Peaches or Nectarines, Parmesan, Feta or Fresh Mozzarella, Basil
    • Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, Figs, Bleu Cheese, Dill

-Watermelon

-A DIY Popcorn Bar

-A DIY Treats Bar

an arial shot of an orange slatted bar cart with a premixed cocktail a bottle of tequila, lime and herb garnish and several smaller potted plants

The Drinks:

-Let Lo Bar Cocktail Services do all the heavy lifting for you with a pre-batched mixer, cocktail, or mocktail. That leaves you more time to focus on stocking wine options and the movie setup logistics. The Hibiscus Margarita with lime, rosemary, and rosemary salt is a great choice. 

-Assorted Chilled Wine Options

3 green antique metal bowls lined with white paper and filled with 3 different types of popcorn all sitting on a coffee table outside

The DIY Popcorn Bar:

You can experiment with more homemade flavor infusions, but here are three solid choices to get you started. 

Vegan Curry Popcorn

Toss 16 cups of hot popcorn with ½ cup melted coconut oil, 2 teaspoons each of curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and salt. Add more seasoning to taste.

Herbs de Provence Popcorn

Buttery Version: Add chopped fresh rosemary and dried lavender to 1 stick of melted butter. Stir to combine, and set aside to infuse for 15-20 minutes. Heat the butter to melt it, if necessary, then toss the butter mixture with 16 cups of hot popcorn, ½ cup grated parmesan, and 2 teaspoons sea salt. 

Olive Oil Version: Toss 16 cups hot popcorn with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, ½ tablespoon chopped dried lavender, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.

Everything Bagel Popcorn

Buttery Version: Toss 16 cups of hot popcorn with 1 stick of melted butter and ⅓ cup of Everything Bagel Spice, or more, to taste.

Vegan Version: Spray 16 cups of hot popcorn with enough neutral olive oil to coat the popcorn. Toss with ⅓ cup Everything Bagel Spice, or more, to taste. 

wrapped candies, chocolate covered nuts, yogurt covered pretzels, mini sandies cookies, pistachios in the shell, and jelly beans on a paper runner on a blue tablecloth

The DIY Treat Bar:

Want to spark a conversation? Ask your friends about their favorite movie-theater candy choice. As for hosting your movie night, you can go with the classics or offer a little bit of a healthier twist. Try East End Food Coop’s yogurt-coated pretzels, peanut-butter pretzels, or naturally-dyed sour gummies and jelly beans. Add some nuts and wholesome cookies to the mix, and you have something for every type of sweet tooth.

Story and Styling by Quelcy Kogel / Photography by Tom Macconnell

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Typical Average Cocktail, Inspired by Ed Sheeran

By
Star Laliberte
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0
two yellow cocktails in small glass cartons with mint sprig garnish on a white tile surface

A Typical Average Cocktail for a “typical average teen, if you know what I mean.” We went all the way back to the year 2005 when Ed Sheeran self-released his first EP, The Orange Room, for this cocktail inspo. The third track on the album was titled Typical Average. The flavors in this cocktail, the 4th in our 2023 Summer Concert Cocktail Series, might be slightly more recognizable than Sheeran’s preteen vocals. If you don’t believe us, dare to compare and give it a listen?

Typical Average Cocktail, Inspired by Ed Sheeran

Ingredients

2oz Wild Turkey American Honey
1oz fresh squeezed lime juice
ginger beer
mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add ice to the rocks glass
  2. Pour American Honey over the ice.
  3. Add fresh squeezed lime juice, and stir.
  4. Top with ginger beer.
  5. Garnish with a large sprig of mint.

Recipe by Sarah Cascone / Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce / Story by Star Laliberte

Photo surface provided by Tile and Designs.

Try these other cocktails in our Summer Concert Series:
Crush Cocktail, inspired by Dave Matthews Band
Summer’s In Your Blood Cocktail, inspired by Boygenius
Lover Cocktail, inspired by Taylor Swift

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4 Refreshing Michelada Recipes Perfect for Summer

By
Star Laliberte
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0

Refreshing michelada recipes are a great way to liven up your summer parties, and our friends at Round Corner Cantina are sharing 4 michelada recipes with next-level flavors that will keep you sipping all summer long. The Mexican beer cocktail, typically made with lime and assorted juices, is also a great addition to your favorite Tuesday night treat: tacos.

Try These Michelada Recipes Perfect for Summer

4 refreshing michelada recipes

Look at these four gorgeous, enticing Micheladas…which one will you choose to sip on this summer? Here are your options.

Rosa

a clear glass with a white background with a pink Mexican Rosa Michelada cocktail being topped off with a can of hard seltzer.

Guava pureé and lush hibiscus simple syrup combined with ice cold beer deliver a subtly sweet flavor and a beautiful red color in this Rosa Michelada.

Clara Michelada

a tall glass with beer and lime called a Clara Michelada with a bottle of beer in the background

The Clara Michelada is a refreshing Mexican beer and lime drink using one of Mexico’s most classic beers, Modelo. Modelo with lime over ice is simple and enjoyable for the warmer months.

Verde Michelada

a yellow and green cocktail made of verde and beer in a clear glass garnished with jalapeño and cilantro with a white background

Give your beer a spicy, savory upgrade with this Verde Michelada recipe using Green Bloody Mix. If you love the grassy, zesty kick of salsa verde, this is the savory cocktail for you!

Rojo Michelada

a look in photo of a tall glass with Bloody Mary mix and beer, called a rogue michelada, with a white back ground and lime wedges

If you’re a fan of the Bloody Mary and a lover of an ice cold beer, this classic Rojo Michelada with tomato sauce and jalapeño is for you. Makes a perfect “hair of the dog” hangover cure!

Story by Star Laliberte
Recipes by Esquina Cantina
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Buttermilk Pancakes

By
Gabe Gomez
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0
a stack of pancakes on a plate with berries
Photo courtesy of Jaqueline Pelzer

Pancakes may seem like a humble breakfast staple, but they can be an absolute game-changer when done right. Imagine a plate piled high with golden-brown pancakes that are so fluffy they practically float off the plate. Buttermilk, that tangy elixir of the dairy world, is the secret weapon that takes these pancakes from ordinary to extraordinary. That lactic acid works its magic, tenderizing the batter and adding a subtle tang that cuts through the sweetness. Raspberries and blueberries add a little flavor and bring freshness and brightness to the party. And let’s not forget the finishing touch – a light dusting of confectioners sugar. It’s like a whisper of sweetness that blankets the pancakes, adding a touch of elegance and that little extra something.

Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
Pinch of confectioners sugar

Directions

  1. Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk them together until well combined.
  2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
  3. Gradually pour the melted butter into the wet ingredients while whisking, and continue stirring until well combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir the mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing. Let the batter rest for a moment.
  5. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-low heat and butter it.
  6. Once the skillet is heated, pour half a cup of batter onto the pan.
  7. Cook the pancake until the edges appear cooked, and bubbles form on the surface of the batter. Flip the pancake and continue cooking until it turns golden brown.
  8. Repeat the process, adding butter to the pan between each batch of pancakes.
  9. Serve the pancakes warm, topped with raspberries, blueberries, and a sprinkle of confectioners sugar. Feel free to get creative with your toppings by adding your favorite fruits, maple syrup, or any other desired variations.

Recipe by Gabe Gomez

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Verde Michelada

By
staff-author
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a yellow and green cocktail made of verde and beer in a clear glass garnished with jalapeño and cilantro with a white background

Give your beer a spicy upgrade with this Verde Michelada Recipe from our friends at Pittsburgh’s Esquina Cantina. The appeal of a beer-based michelada cocktail has a lot to do with refreshing hydration, next level flavors, and a cool drink you can linger over with family and friends.

Speaking of next level flavor: Round Corner’s homemade Green Bloody Mix delivers the perfect amount of heat on the back end of this Verde Michelada. The folks at Round Corner were good enough to share it with TABLE Readers. See below.

The History of the Michelada

The drink’s name comes from the phrase “mi chela helada,” which means “my cold beer.” Beer is one of the most refreshing drinks out there on a hot day, and the michelada ups that with its addition of citrus. The most popular story says that Michel Ésper, a member of the Club Deportivo Potosino sports club, invented the michelada after a tennis match. This may be apocrypha, but a cold beer with lime after a tennis match does sound delightful. 
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a yellow and green cocktail made of verde and beer in a clear glass garnished with jalapeño and cilantro with a white background

Verde Michelada

  • Author: Esquina Cantina
Print Recipe

Description

A refreshing Latin drink.

Ingredients

Scale

For the michelada:

  • 2oz Verde Bloody mix (recipe below)
  • Dos Equis Lager
  • Lime wedge, cilantro spring, and jalapeño slice for garnish

For the Green Bloody mix:

  • 4 tomatillos, skins removed, halved
  • 1 jalapeńo pepper, seeded, halved
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 6 sprigs cilantro, stems removed
  • 3 oz lime
  • 1.5 oz water
  • 1.5 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

For the michelada:

  1. Fill glass halfway with ice.
  2. Add 2oz verde mix.
  3. Top with Dos Equis Lager or beer of choice, or n/a beer.
  4. Garnish with lime wedge, cilantro sprig, and jalapeño slice.

For the green bloody mix: 

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Recipe by Esquina Cantina
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Rojo Michelada Recipe

By
staff-author
-
0
a look in photo of a tall glass with Bloody Mary mix and beer with a white back ground and lime wedges

Referred to as a Mexican Bloody Mary, this Rojo Michelada cocktail uses Mexican beer instead of vodka, but still mixes it with the classic Bloody Mary . Our friends at Esquina Cantina are sharing their version of the cocktail with our readers, whether you’re enjoying it for happy hour or as hair of the dog. 

How to Make Your Own Bloody Mary Mix 

The mix you use for a Bloody Mary is important. It’s one of those drinks that’s memorable if it’s done well and equally memorable if it’s done poorly. We hope the Rojo Michelada can be the former and not the latter, and you can make your own sauce if you want to control the proportions. Luckily, making your own Bloody Mary mix is simple. It’s tomato juice, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, two kinds of salt, black pepper and hot sauce. Combine them together in a mixing bowl, and then decant into a pitcher or bottle before you use the mixture.

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a look in photo of a tall glass with Bloody Mary mix and beer with a white back ground and lime wedges

Rojo Michelada Recipe

  • Author: Esquina Cantina
Print Recipe

Description

The original Michelada with hot sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3oz Bloody Mary Mix
  • .75 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
  • Modelo beer, n/a beer or seltzer
  • Lime wedge and jalapeño slice for garnish

Instructions

  1. Fill the glass halfway with ice.
  2. Add Bloody Mary mix.
  3. Top with beer, n/a beer or seltzer
  4. Garnish with a lime wedge and jalapeño slice.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Recipe by Esquina Cantina
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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The Best Potato Salad Ever

By
Jordan Snowden
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0
Potato salad, garnished with green herbs, sits in a casserole dish with blue, orange, and yellow flowers on it.

I know what every Black person is thinking right now: who does she think she is? She has the best potato salad ever?

I get it. We, as Black people, take potato salad very seriously. That’s why we side-eye Becky with her raisins. This recipe ain’t your grandmother’s or your favorite auntie’s version. No disrespect, none at all, but this potato salad gives you life in a way that deviates from the traditional heavy mayonnaise, mustard, and sweet relish styles. It’s not a summer potato salad nor some stuck-up French-style either. This potato salad is the code switch that never feels spirit-breaking. It’s the dish that would sell out instantly at my supper club in Oakland. Inevitably, it became the treasured birthday gift or the über-favored contribution to Sunday gatherings with friends.

What Makes This the Best Potato Salad Ever?

The Yukon gold potatoes introduce a rich texture, while the aioli is a more tasty and velvety expression of a creaminess than mayonnaise would render. The tanginess of the yogurt paired with the vinegar gives it the umami that makes it so addictive. The delicate poaching of the eggs brings a sophistication and lends reverence to the outstanding flavor of farm-fresh eggs. My people thought I was crazy to contribute this recipe to this project. They felt that this potato salad is so unique and honestly so ridiculously good that it should rest solely between the pages of my own cookbook. So, let this recipe be my gift to you, family: something for us, a new expression of what Black food is and can be. Bon appétit!

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The Best Potato Salad served in a steel food container cut from the sides

The Best Potato Salad Ever

  • Author: Monifa Dayo
Print Recipe

Description

This potato salad deserves the superlative.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 shallots
  • 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
  • 4 lb medium Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
  • EVOO for drizzling
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pint full-fat yogurt (Straus is best)
  • 1 cup aioli (classic recipe will do, or store-bought)
  • 1 cup capers
  • 1 bunch parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 8 farm eggs
  • Fleur de sel to taste
  • 1 bunch tarragon, leaves picked but not chopped, for garnish
  • 1 bunch dill, leaves picked but not chopped, for garnish
  • Fresh coriander seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Finely dice the shallots, place in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar and 1½ tablespoons salt.
  2. Place the potatoes in a pot filled with super-salty water. Boil gently until the water is cloudy and the potatoes are fork-tender. Strain the potatoes in a colander, drain off the water, then let cool on a sheet pan.
  3. When the potatoes are cool enough to touch, peel and discard the skins. Once peeled, use your hands to break the potatoes into smaller pieces.
  4. Drain the vinegar from the shallots over the potatoes and drizzle generously with the oil. Add the drained shallots. Gently mix with your hands. sprinkle heavily with the pepper and add more oil. Spoon large dollops of yogurt and aioli in each corner. Add the capers. Sprinkle the parsley and cilantro on top.
  5. Gently mix with your hands or a large spoon, being careful to leave each element intact and distinct.
  6. In the meantime, bring water to boil in a small Dutch oven. Just before the water boils, crack a few eggs in the water, making sure to ever so gently swirl the water. Poach the eggs until the yolks are set but soft, keeping the water below a simmer. Retrieve the eggs from the water and lightly dry on a towel. Season each egg with fleur de sel and oil. Let cool.
  7. Place the eggs atop the potato salad. Using a spoon, cut a few into halves and some into quarters. Ever so gently, with your hands, incorporate the eggs into the salad. You want to show off the yokes, but you also want some of the eggs nestled in the potatoes.
  8. Spoon the salad onto a serving dish, drizzle with additional oil, and season with more black pepper and the fleur de sel. Garnish with the tarragon and dill. If in season, sprinkle fresh coriander seeds on top as well. Enjoy your potato salad!

Notes

Use Straus’s maple-flavored yogurt if you are a sweet potato salad kind of person. Add some butter lettuce hearts (keep them whole) in with the chopped herbs. This aids in stretching the salad and reduces the guilt of eating copious amounts of potato and dairy!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Story and Recipe by Monifa Dayo from Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora

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