HANDS-ON TIME
25 MIN
TOTAL TIME
45 MIN
Serves 4 to 6
Once, when I was making my Fingerlings with 40 Cloves of Garlic for houseguests, I accidentally overcooked the potatoes—a martini distracted me, my friends reported. Panic! But then I calmed down and started to improvise. I picked the potatoes up with my hands and tossed them into a serving bowl. They started to fall apart into chunks, so I figured I’d make some sort of warm salad. I drizzled a ridiculous amount of fruity olive oil all over them—this was key to its success—then folded in a ton of herbs. Delicious! The recipe has evolved slightly since that night, but every time I make it, I can’t help but remember how it came to be. The lesson: Mistakes can often lead you to something far better. After all, when Julia Child couldn’t flip her potato pancakes, she covered them with cream and cheese, threw them in the oven, and invented a new classic.
Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, and simmer over medium heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and transfer them to a plate to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, lemon zest, and lemon juice; let stand for 5 minutes.
Using your fingers, lightly crush the potatoes and transfer to the large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix gently, then fold in the arugula, parsley, dill, and chives. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve right away.
DO IT AHEAD If you’re really looking to save a little time, you can prepare this recipe through the potato-crushing process and let it hang out at room temperature for a while. Add everything else just before serving; that way, the herbs stay fresh and green.