potato salad with smoked salmon

mayo-less potato salad as a main event.

i was powerless to resist buying baby patriotic potatoes:

when lil' potatoes are in my possession, there's one recipe i turn to repeatedly: potato salad. let me clarify- i hate mayo. especially in potato salad. thankfully, jamie oliver's potato salad with smoked salmon, opened my eyes to a new kind of potato salad. although it's fantastic, he skipped my favorite potato salad ingredient: the mustard! after tailoring his original recipe, i came up with one that suits my tastes and i haven't looked back. this is always what i want to make after buying pastrami smoked salmon from acme fish.

• 1 1/4lbs new potatoes, washed
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 scallion, white and lt green parts chopped
• 2 Tablespoons capers
• few springs of thyme and chives
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 cups of pea shoots (arugula works well too)
• 14oz sliced smoked salmon, patted dry if it's oily

preparation:

• in a pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes for about 15min, until just cooked. drain in a colander, shaking out all the water.
• whisk together the lemon juice and mustard in a large bowl. add about twice as much olive oil and season with salt and pepper. taste the dressing- it should have a bit more tang than what you would use on a salad. add the scallion, capers, and thyme. while the potatoes are still hot, toss them with the dressing. let them cool to room temp.
• in a smaller bowl, mix the mascarpone with the horseradish and lemon zest. season with salt and pepper.
• to plate, i like to put down some pea shoots and fill the center with potatoes. drape the salmon into bunches on the plate and fill in the gaps with a drop of cheese. add a few more pea shoots around the plate and cover the whole thing with chives.

serves 4