Potato Salad With Tartar Sauce and Fresh Herbs

Most potato salad recipes call for tossing together all the components, but this one calls for assembling the dish in layers, and for brightening — and loosening — the traditional mayonnaise dressing with pickles and their brine. The steps are simple, and the key is in the potato treatment: Boil the potatoes and slice them into rounds, then immediately douse them with fragrant pickle brine and olive oil, so they soak up flavor and retain moisture. Prepare your potatoes and tartar sauce in advance, then assemble before serving, draping your seasoned potatoes on a platter, drizzling them with the loose tartar sauce and sprinkling with herbs and lemon zest for a modern update on a classic.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and black pepper
2

pounds small (2- to 3-inch-long) red potatoes, scrubbed
⅔

cup mayonnaise
¼

cup minced bread and butter pickle chips, plus 5 tablespoons brine
2

tablespoons minced, drained jarred capers
1

garlic clove, minced
1

lemon
3

tablespoons olive oil
Torn fresh parsley and dill, for garnish

Preparation

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high. Add the potatoes and cook until tender when speared with a fork, about 10 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large colander to drain and cool.
While the potatoes cook, prepare the tartar sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, minced pickles and 2 tablespoons pickle brine, minced capers, garlic and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Once cool enough to handle, slice the cooked potatoes crosswise into 1-centimeter-thick rounds. Transfer to a large bowl, drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining 3 tablespoons pickle brine. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange on a large serving platter in an even layer, setting some of the rounded pieces skin-side up.
Just before serving, drizzle with the tartar sauce and top with torn parsley and dill. Zest the lemon on top and serve right away.