fingerling potato and frisée salad with lemon vinaigrette.
thinly sliced potatoes fried in pancetta fat and served on top of bright, springy, bold frisée makes for the perfect summer side salad.
Makes: 2 full salads or 4 side salads Prep time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ah, frisée, the vegetable we all know and love. Right? Or are we all avoiding it because we really have no idea what the hell frisée is? It can’t just be me.
Aesthetically, frisée is a delicate, intricately webbed cross between lettuce and arugula. It’s beautiful, and acts similarly to it’s leafy green relatives in that it works well in salads and on sandwiches- especially egg salad sandwiches such as this one.
Technically, though, frisée is part of the chicory family, which also houses endives and radicchio. That being said, it’s pretty bitter; personally I find it still comparable to lettuce, but some may find the taste overwhelming.
If that’s you- and no judgement- you can still make this salad, even including the frisée. Many chefs mix it with other leafy greens to allow the bitterness to blend with other neutral flavors and, aesthetically again, to allow the intricate leaves to stand out. I will tell you, though, that like collards or dandelion greens, frisée is wholly delightful when doused in fats and acids. Thus, pancetta and lemons.
This recipe is actually really easy- you could work fast and have it done in less than 20 minutes, easily. Make the vinaigrette while frying up the pancetta- work it into the greens while the potatoes crisp up. There’s very, very, few ingredients in this which makes it very easy to make and super easy to customize.
This salad really is meant to be a side salad to complement your bold and delicious summery mains, but if you’re looking to make this into a full meal you can add a few delicious things to round it out. Hard or soft boiled eggs will add a great amount of protein. Sliced cherry tomatoes add a bright vegetable addition. Cucumbers and green onions add a refreshing element, the onions offering a new flavor in the mix. And finally- croutons, crumbled cheese, and avocado are salad classics that would be perfect additions here, too.
More on ingredient specifics and pairing options below. Enjoy!
fingerling and frisée salad ingredients
frisée: I wouldn’t be offended if this was the first thing you wanted to swap. It’s not a universally loved veggie and honestly, can easily be swapped for romaine. If you’re an arugula lover, that would also work well, though you might find it a little too flimsy and peppery. The best option, if possible, is getting a spring mix of frisée, arugula, and romaine, or anything similar to that. You’ll still get that elegant taste in the greens without it being.. you know, a bowl of frisée.
fingerling potatoes: Not that it matters, but these are technically different than baby or new potatoes. You can use either one. Fingerlings are actually matured, full-grown potatoes that are a different variety than the very-similar new potatoes, which are simply baby versions of full-grown potatoes. The differences are small, and they can really be used interchangeably; both have thin skins and tiny bodies that roast and fry about the same. Fingerlings are just a bit more oblong, like a finger. Get it? Slice them very thin, either with a knife or a mandoline, about the width of a nickel. You’re basically making a soft potato chip!
pancetta: This is the pork found in carbonara and sold at the store in little 4 ounce packs of diced meat, usually near the sliced deli meats or fancy charcuterie meats (in Wisconsin, this was in the cheese section). Some stores will have pancetta in the deli that you can order in strips or slices. If you can find the 4-ounce pack of diced pancetta, it makes this recipe super easy. You can also swap in bacon.
lemon: Only two tablespoons of this, which may be even less than half of a large lemon. You want a 1:2 ratio of acid to fats in a vinaigrette, so if you double the recipe, just make sure it’s 1 parts lemon to 2 parts olive oil. You can also use some vinegar instead of lemon juice, if it’s too tart for your taste. Again- you’d just want to make sure your ratio is 1:2, so 1 tablespoon of vinegar and lemon juice each and 4 tablespoons olive oil.
olive oil: I’d recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil here, since it offers so much to the raw taste of vinaigrette. You can also use regular olive oil or, in a pinch, canola oil. I actually used some avocado oil when I ran out of olive oil and found it very good, too.
garlic: I was using two smaller cloves of garlic for mine. Knowing that you won’t get the whole clove grated, I called for two cloves. I love garlic, so I like it being super garlicky. A little goes a long way here. Start with one and add more if you find it too bland. Season last!
dijon mustard: Just a tiny dollop, but an important ingredient in giving the vinaigrette some depth. Dijon is made from white wine, so it gives a very buttery bite when mixed with fats. You can substitute a little brown mustard instead, but I would stay away from yellow mustard as it will be too acidic.
fingerling and frisée salad pairing options
I would serve this as a side dish during the late summer, when frisée is harvested and likely to be found in grocery stores. That being said, it is bright and refreshing and pairs well with grilled meats. Some ideas below:
steaks, grilled chicken, and lamb
beef tips or burnt ends
chicken or beef kabobs
lighter, but rich, pastas like carbonara or cacio e pepe
sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, or a bright red