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Buttermilk Potato Salad With Preserved Lemon
Published July 9, 2024
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- Total Time
- 55 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes, plus 15 minutes’ cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1large garlic clove, grated
- ½ preserved lemon, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons), plus 1 teaspoon brine
- 1small shallot, finely chopped (or ¼ cup finely chopped red onion, about ¼ small onion)
- ¾cup green olives (such as Castelvetrano), pitted and torn
- 3tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2tablespoons finely chopped dill
Preparation
- Step 1
Cover the potatoes with 1 inch of salted water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high and cook until they are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain them and slice them in half when they are cool enough to handle.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil and garlic. Stir in the preserved lemon and brine, the shallot and olives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Stir the warm potatoes and herbs into the dressing and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Enjoy the salad warm, at room temperature or cover and chill to serve cold.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Excellent! Made as per recipe except used a whole preserved lemon (because really, there can never be too much preserved lemon!). I thought there wasn’t going to be enough dressing but it was fine.
In preserving the lemons, do they sit out or in the fridge? It says to keep them in the fridge when they are ready, but before?
Mmm, delicious! Basically all my favorite things in a bowl. I doubled the amount of potatoes, and in making 2x the dressing I doubled the buttermilk, mayo, mustard and olive oil but kept the other ingredients as is. I used a blend of dill, basil, and tarragon because that's what's in my garden right now. Very adaptable and tasty recipe.
keep outside til ready, best to invert jar once per day. you can also add spices and herbs you like - thyme, turmeric, etc. whatever suits the food you cook.
Because I had them on hand, I used capers instead of olives and added some chopped celery. I'm sort of verklempt at how good it was. The brine, the tang, the added crunch---is it possible to be moved by potato salad?
I use preserved lemons regularly. There is a jar sitting on the counter all the time. For this dish I would start with the rind, chopped and the brine and then if more lemony taste is desired, use the pulp I make egg noodles, with butter, Parmesan, black pepper and preserved lemons but only use the rind for that
So do you use both the rind and the pulp of the preserved lemon, or only the rind?
Outstanding. Doubled it and made as written apart from half a white onion instead of shallot because that's what I had. Everyone devoured it.
I followed the recipe as written. Dressed the quartered and halved potatoes while hot and had excess dressing. It was delicious and received rave comments from the family so 5 stars.
Paula Wolfert's, Couscous and Other Good Things from Morocco: Aziz Benchekroun's Five-Day Preserved lemon Special. look it up.
Outstanding; although I used grilled olives and skipped any added salt. Hope I find additional uses for the preserved lemons.
I followed the recipe as written. Dressed the quartered and halved potatoes while hot and had excess dressing. It was delicious and received rave comments from the family so 5 stars.
Outstanding. Doubled it and made as written apart from half a white onion instead of shallot because that's what I had. Everyone devoured it.
So do you use both the rind and the pulp of the preserved lemon, or only the rind?
I use preserved lemons regularly. There is a jar sitting on the counter all the time. For this dish I would start with the rind, chopped and the brine and then if more lemony taste is desired, use the pulp I make egg noodles, with butter, Parmesan, black pepper and preserved lemons but only use the rind for that
There is a lot easier way to make your own preserved lemons, thanks to Mark Bittman's version here in the NYT several years ago. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013306-quick-preserved-lemons
Are preserved lemons the same as pickled lemons? I found pickled lemons at a middle eastern shop, and was wondering.
I had understood that generally one only used the rind of preserved lemons as the pulp is too salty. Is that wrong?
Is the buttermilk required? Dairy allergy in the family.
I made preserved lemons a few weeks ago. The recipe I used said to shake the jar every 2 or 3 days. I also placed a baggy with water on top to keep the lemons submerged in the brine - a technique I learned from making crock pickles. The recipe also called for bay leaf and peppercorns. I can’t wait to try them in this recipe.
Because I had them on hand, I used capers instead of olives and added some chopped celery. I'm sort of verklempt at how good it was. The brine, the tang, the added crunch---is it possible to be moved by potato salad?
Thanks. I keep capers in the fridge, but don't usually have green olives on hand.
Question: How salty are preserved lemons after rinsing? I'm on a low salt diet but I'd like to try them.
This is very delicious! Great combination of flavors. Made it as the recipe is written except added a little more mayo because the buttermilk I used was kind of thin. Next time I think I’ll use a whole preserved lemon, the lemon flavor is so subtle.
Mmm, delicious! Basically all my favorite things in a bowl. I doubled the amount of potatoes, and in making 2x the dressing I doubled the buttermilk, mayo, mustard and olive oil but kept the other ingredients as is. I used a blend of dill, basil, and tarragon because that's what's in my garden right now. Very adaptable and tasty recipe.
I had dish with preserved lemon once. The bitterness of the rind was very unpleasant.
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