Warm Mediterranean Potato Salad with Crispy Prosciutto & Rocket

Name: Warm Mediterranean Potato Salad with Crispy Prosciutto & Rocket
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 kg baby potatoes, preferably small waxy potatoes; 80–100 g prosciutto; 60 g baby rocket; ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced; ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped; ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn; 40 g Parmesan, shaved; Sea salt; Freshly cracked black pepper; 60 ml extra virgin olive oil; 20 ml red wine vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated; Finely grated zest of ½ lemon; 1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice; ½ tsp honey, optional and only if needed; Freshly cracked black pepper

Baby potatoes dressed while warm in a red wine and lemon vinaigrette, tossed with rocket, fresh herbs and red onion, then finished with shaved Parmesan and shards of crispy prosciutto. A generous side for roast dinners, barbecues and warm-weather gatherings.

Warm Mediterranean potato salad with crispy prosciutto, rocket and shaved Parmesan.

Warm potatoes and a sharp vinaigrette have always been one of my favourite pairings, and this salad is built entirely around that moment. Pressing some of the baby potatoes open while they are still steaming lets the dressing soak straight into their soft centres, so they are seasoned right through rather than coated on the outside. The rest stay whole, which gives the bowl its mix of creamy and firm. Crispy prosciutto brings salt and crunch, the rocket adds a peppery lift, and the Parmesan softens just slightly where it rests on the warm potatoes. It sits comfortably beside a Sunday roast chicken, and just as happily on the table once the evenings start to stay light and warm.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 20 min · Serves: 6 · Cuisine: Mediterranean · Category: Side Dish

Ingredients

Warm Mediterranean Potato Salad with Crispy Prosciutto & Rocket

1 kg baby potatoes, preferably small waxy potatoes
80–100 g prosciutto
60 g baby rocket
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
40 g Parmesan, shaved
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette

60 ml extra virgin olive oil
20 ml red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp honey, optional and only if needed
Freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C fan-forced. Lay the prosciutto loosely over a lined tray and bake for 8–10 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. It will crisp further as it cools.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover generously with cold, well-salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a small knife, around 15–20 minutes depending on size. Make the Red Wine Vinaigrette while the potatoes cook.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and allow them to steam dry for a couple of minutes. While still warm, gently press roughly one-third of the potatoes with the back of a spoon so they split and expose some of their centres. Leave the remainder whole, halving any larger potatoes if needed.
Place the warm potatoes into a large bowl and immediately pour over about three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Add the red onion and gently toss. Leave for 10 minutes so the potatoes can absorb the dressing and cool slightly.
Fold through the parsley and basil. Add the rocket just before serving and toss very lightly, adding enough of the remaining vinaigrette to dress everything without making the salad oily.
Transfer to a serving platter. Finish with generous Parmesan shavings, broken shards of crispy prosciutto and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.
Taste before adding salt. Hold the honey initially and add the ½ teaspoon only if the vinegar needs softening, then adjust with the remaining lemon juice if it needs more brightness.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this warm alongside The Grace Table Roast Chicken Method (Golden, Juicy & Extra Crispy Skin) for an easy Sunday lunch, or with Greek-Style Lamb Loin Chops when you want something quicker. It also sits beautifully next to Charred Peri Peri Roast Chicken or Baked Salmon with Lemon, Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes on a warm evening. Because it is just as good at room temperature, it has become a regular on our Christmas table.

Make Ahead Notes

The prosciutto can be crisped up to a day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. The vinaigrette keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days; bring it back to room temperature and shake well before using. The potatoes can be dressed up to an hour before serving, with the rocket, Parmesan and prosciutto added at the table.

Storage Notes

Best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the rocket will soften and the prosciutto will lose its crunch. Let them come back to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Waxy baby potatoes such as chat, Kipfler or Nicola hold their shape when pressed. Floury potatoes will collapse into mash.

Salt the cooking water generously, around a tablespoon per litre. The potatoes season from the inside as they cook, so the salad needs very little salt at the end.

Prosciutto and Parmesan are both salty, so taste the finished salad before adding any extra salt.

A vegetable peeler run along a wedge of Parmesan gives wide, thin shavings that sit nicely on top rather than disappearing into the salad.

The Grace Table Tip

Serve this warm or at room temperature rather than cold from the fridge. Chilling firms the potatoes, sets the olive oil and dulls the vinaigrette, so the flavours that make the salad work go flat.