French Style Potato Salad

There is a fine line for me when it comes to the amount of mayonnaise. With that being said I obviously have never been a fan of most potato salads with a mayo base to them, not to mention most of them have hard boiled eggs - my nemesis!!! I was thrilled a few years back when I was introduced to French potato salad which has a Dijon vinaigrette base to it, diced shallots, and a ton of fresh herbs. It's the perfect side dish for a picnic and any summertime meal. You can use any potatoes you have on hand, but I personally think red potatoes taste better, look better because you can leave the skins on, and they hold up better in this salad.

1 lb of potatoes (Red potatoes work best)
1 large shallot
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped Dill
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped Chives
1/3 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

Cut the potatoes into even bite sized cubes so they cook evenly. If you're using baby potatoes, just cutting them in half will do. Fill a pot large enough to hold all the potatoes with water and drop the potatoes in. Optionally, add a little white wine and chicken stock or bullion to the potato water to give them more flavor. Cook until the potatoes are just cooked through (Tender when pierced).

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the shallot into small dices and set aside. To make our dressing, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, the fresh dill and chives, and the salt and pepper together until the dressing emulsifies.

Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and pour about 1/2 of our dressing over the warm potatoes and gently toss together. Let the potatoes cool for a few more minutes before adding the rest of our dressing, the shallots, and the parsley. Toss gently together and season to taste. You can serve the salad warm, room temperature, or cold!