Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Prosciutto

Fingerling potatoes are some

of my favorite spuds to cook with. Mild, earthy flavor, creamy texture, and

just the right size for easy, quick cooking all make fingerlings a good choice

for a variety of potato dishes—including salad.

Fingerling Potatoes

Roasting the potatoes draws

out their rich, savory potato taste and adds a little depth to regular potato

salad. Simply cut the fingerlings crosswise into bite-sized pieces, toss with

olive oil and seasoning, and roast for 20-25 minutes.

Prep the other ingredients

and make the dressing while they roast, and the salad will be ready to serve

warm—or ready to chill in the fridge to give the flavors time to blend, as in

this recipe.

Of course, when it comes to

potato, pasta, or garden salads, for that matter, the most prominent flavor is

the dressing. Creamy, mayonnaise-based dressings cover up most of the visual

appeal of the salad ingredients, so taste is all-important in making this an

inviting, scrumptious dish.

Here, the rich flavor comes

from a combination of tangy yet sweet white balsamic vinegar and—the key

ingredient—evaporated milk. The milk not only adds its own creamy sweetness,

but also thins the dressing to a not-so-smothering consistency.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.

Place the potatoes in a large

bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Spread the potatoes in a

single layer on the baking pan (reserve the bowl; do not wipe). Roast until

tender and golden, stirring a few times, 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool to

room temperature.

Transfer the potatoes to the

reserved bowl and add the prosciutto and remaining ingredients.

Potatoes Tossed with Oil and SeasoningPotatoes Ready to RoastRoasted Fingerling PotatoesRoasted Potato Mixture

Add the dressing (recipe

follows) and stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (may

be made 1 day ahead). Stir gently again before

serving.

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Prosciutto

For the Dressing

Combine the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, sugar, mustard,

and celery seed in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Potato Salad Dressing