Skip Regular Potato Salad: Ina Garten's Boozy Tip Adds So Much More Flavor
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In her 2004 book "Barefoot in Paris," Ina Garten wrote that "The French have a way of taking simple ingredients and turning them into something extraordinary" (via The Starling Club). Some of the credit for that should go to renowned chef Auguste Escoffier, who revolutionized the country's profession while creating iconic recipes still cooked today. Among them is potato salad, and although he can't claim ownership of the original dish, Escoffier's 1902 version, which includes white wine, has been heartily embraced by Garten in her own recipe, and it's easy to see why.
Garten's version uses wine as a marinade to really ramp up the potatoes' flavor. In his recipe for Parisian potato salad, Escoffier called for hot, boiled potatoes to be sliced and immersed for a short marinade in dry white wine before being gently tossed in a blend of oil, vinegar, and herbs. Garten's take is much the same, with the addition of a good Dijon mustard and a mix of red and white potatoes.
The choice of wine varies from recipe to recipe. Garten calls only for a dry variety, though some recommend a Muscadet or a Chablis, while others suggest a Sauvignon Blanc. Stick to a French white if you want, but if you prefer a home-grown bottle, go for it! Just be sure to use it when your potatoes are still hot so they can soak up all that delicious flavor. They won't absorb it all, and any unused liquid can be discarded, leaving you with decadent, oh-so slightly boozy taters.
The 'tater choice matters with Parisian potato salad, but otherwise it's an ingredient free-for-all
The choice of potato is an important factor for a successful Parisian potato salad. Escoffier suggested Vitelotte because they held their shape, while Garten has suggested Yukon gold and the small La Ratte variety is also popular. If you can't get your hands on any of those, Russian fingerlings are a good substitute, but many recipes simply require small white and/or red potatoes.
Garten's version also differs from the French original in other ways, as she adds crunchy vegetables to the mix, including celery and cornichons, a kind of French pickle. Garten's not the first to give the recipe her own spin. Julia Child's recipe for Pommes de Terre à L'Huile (potatoes in oil) in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" includes mustard and wine vinegar, as well as optional green onions, moving it close to the Russian way of rustling up a potato salad.
In fact, so many cooks have given Parisian potato salad their own twists that there are no hard-and-fast rules anymore — apart from adding the wine to hot potatoes. Take the herbs, for example. Out of Escoffier's recommended chopped chervil? Throw in some chives. None of Garten's dill in the pantry? Switch it for parsley. Heck, if you're up to your knees in basil, thanks to our store-bought herb hack, chop some of it up, add it to the potato salad party, and your taste buds will thank us later.