Warm Potato Salad with Arugula

Are you looking for a side dish for Easter? You should make Warm Potato Salad with Arugula. I was flipping through Food & Wine last July when I saw Chef Paul Virant’s 4th of July menu, and I couldn’t wait to try the recipes. I made the chicken with pimenton, the green bean and tomato salad, and this warm potato salad. The other recipes from the menu are good, but this potato salad is fantastic! The ingredients are simple. It's the combination of flavors that shine. Arugula is my new favorite leafy green with its delicious complexity, and when you add the roasted potatoes, onions and mustard, you have a winner of a potato salad. I have served this salad with chicken, boneless pork ribs and grilled steaks. It tastes great with everything. Last week when I told Beth and Sandy I was making this, they simultaneously asked me if I was going to put it on my blog. Warm Potato Salad with Arugula is that good.

Warm Potato Salad with Arugula
From Paul Virant’s recipe in Food & Wine

3 pounds of white potatoes, scrubbed
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons grainy mustard (I use Maille Grainy Dijon Mustard)
1 ½ Tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
5 ounces baby arugula (6 cups)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the potatoes into ½-inch wedges. Toss the potatoes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and spread on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes or until browned and crisp. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil with the mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Once the potatoes are done, toss the potatoes with onion and arugula and top with the dressing. Toss the salad again and serve immediately. 12 servings.