Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon

As you know I am a big fan of potatoes! I love them in any way shape or form. A day without eating a potato is a day in which something is missing for me. No Carb or low carb doesn't work for me!



The other day I saw these pretty Apache potatoes in the grocery store, and the bag was only a pound in price, so I gave in and bought them to give them a try. They're very striking in appearance don't you think? Kind of like an Native American pony. (I forget what they are called.) Half of the bag we used simply steamed . . . oh but they were lovely with a bit of melted butter and mint . . . they had a slightly waxy texture (great for salads) and a buttery almost chestnut flavour. Mmmmmm . . .



The rest I used to make a potato salad yesterday. I do so love a nice potato salad in the summer time. I am not fussy about mayonnaisy ones . . . not unless it's my mom's. She makes the best potato salad, with a mayonnaise base. I like it because it's not swimming in mayo. I am not fond of potato salad, swimming in mayo. Ugh . . .



I chose to make a delicious vinaigrette dressing for my salad this time . . . flavoured with some sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard . . . some shallot and spring onion, and of course seasalt and black pepper.



I cut up the potatoes and dropped them into the vinaigrette while they were still warm. That way the potato is able to absorb some of that lovely flavour from the dressing . . . just the way I like it.



I then added some pancetta lardons, which I had cooked until crisp . . . and some crumbled blue cheese. Oh my . . . to die for.



I garnished with some additional spring onion, blue cheese and I added a bit of the packaged bacon bits . . . but I should have actually saved out some of the pancetta lardons to use instead of the packaged ones, as the packaged bits looked a bit too pink. Thank goodness it was just for us!



Oh well . . . live and learn. I do hope you'll try this recipe out. Pink bacon bits aside . . . it was really quite, quite delicious! Oh how, I do so love Potato Salad!!



*Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I love a potato salad with a vinaigrette dressing far more than a mayonnaise based one. They just taste lighter somehow. This one is fab with the addition of a snappy dressing and so blue cheese and bacon lardons!

For the dressing:
2 fluid ounces of Sherry Vinegar (1/4 cup)
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 fluid ounces of olive oil (1/2 cup)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:
1 pound of salad potatoes (I used navaho ones here, a mixture of red and brown skinned)
3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 small package of pancetta lardons, fried until crisp (about 1/2 cup)
120g of danish blue cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

Put the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Bring back to the boil, then turn the heat down a bit and simmer rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain well.

Whisk together the vinegar, oil, shallots and mustard for the dressing. Cut the potatoes into quarters while they are still warm and drop them into the dressing. Allow them to cool to room temperature in the dressing. Add the chopped spring onions, pancetta and crumbled blue cheese. Toss lightly to mix all together. Serve at room temperature.

Note: If you like you can reserve some of the bacon, spring onions and cheese to sprinkle on the top of the salad in the bowl for a pretty garnish.