This dish is everything we love about a German potato salad (bright vinegar, fresh herbs, a little heat), plus the added benefit of a grilled, smoky, char. The still hot-off-the-grates spuds get tossed in dressing that’s equal parts spicy, sweet, herbaceous, and nothing sort of addictive. If you don’t have access to a grill, fear not—simply char the potatoes and onions in a cast-iron grill pan.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- ½ cup kosher salt - plus more
- ⅔ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- ¼ cup plus 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil - plus more for drizzling
- 2 red Fresno chiles - thinly sliced
- 1 large red onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Cook potatoes
- Cover potatoes with 3 qt. water in a large saucepan.
- Stir in ½ cup salt.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a skewer or paring knife, about 12 minutes.
- Drain and let cool slightly.
Prepare the dressing
- Meanwhile, prepare a grill for medium heat.
- Whisk vinegar, fish sauce, honey, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl.
- Stir in chiles.
- Season dressing with salt; set aside.
Prepare the vegetables
- Cut the onion in half through the root, then cut each half into 5 wedges so that they’re still held together by the root.
- Finely grate garlic into a large bowl.
- Whisk in ¼ cup oil.
- Add onion wedges to bowl.
- Smash potatoes lightly with your hands as you add them to bowl, tossing gently to coat with garlic oil.
- Season with salt.
Grill the vegetables
- Grill potatoes and onion wedges, turning occasionally, until charred all over, 12–15 minutes.
- Wipe out the bowl you tossed the potatoes in, then return potatoes and onions to bowl when they’re finished grilling.
Dress
- Pour dressing over potatoes, tossing to coat.
- Add basil (tearing any large leaves in half) and sesame seeds.
- Taste and season with salt if needed, then toss again to combine.
Serve
- Transfer potato salad to a serving bowl.
- Drizzle with oil.