Giada De Laurentiis' Fall Potato Salad Is Nothing Like The Picnic Classic
Potato salad is a southern staple served at many summer events, often coated in a mayonnaise-based dressing with crunchy components like celery, pickled relish, hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped peppers, and more. This starchy dish made into a refreshing salad is both easy and can be tweaked to your liking. However, Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis took this traditional dish outside the box and added vibrant greens, crunchy nuts, citrus fruit, and creamy cheese.
In a recent Instagram post, Giadzy, an Italian-inspired grocery store account owned by Giada De Laurentiis, spoke about a new potato salad recipe that is both fall-inspired and anything but ordinary. Instead of leaning towards the heavier side of a mayonnaise-based dressing, she uses a lighter vinaigrette featuring champagne vinegar, tangy orange juice, citrus zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper. From there, she tosses the vinaigrette with roasted baby potatoes, arugula, orange segments, crumbled gorgonzola, and toasted chopped walnuts, creating a wonderful medley of flavors.
Why it works
Giada's innovative potato salad recipe (via Giazdy) is the opposite of boring, and here's why: According to Kinfolk, every dish needs salt, fat, acid, and heat in order to have a balanced flavor and texture. Salting food enhances its natural flavor, adding fat elevates its taste, and incorporating acid will brighten and balance the savor, while heat will get you the ultimate texture you're looking for.
In this dish, the potatoes are crisped in the oven, giving them the role of the crunchy component. From there, olive oil and gorgonzola cheese act as the fat, adding tremendous flavor, and orange segments and champagne vinegar act as the acid, balancing and brightening the taste of the dish. Salt is added to recognize and enjoy all the contributing players in each bite. Finally, arugula adds vibrant color, a slight peppery taste, and a nutritious boost to this starchy side. Next time you're contemplating a potato salad, don't be afraid to get creative with fresh produce and herbs as they will act as a positive add-in to such a beloved dish.