Tarts greens, salty olives, a little heat from the peperoncino, and ah, garlic
I was introduced to the worthy triumvirate of aglio, olio e peperoncino so long ago I can hardly remember who whispered it to me. Maybe it was The Husband, who had spent time in Italy as a poor student (a+o+p is the essence of cheap eats). Maybe it was my friend, Rob, who is from a full-on, Long Island inhabiting, big-casseroles-of-zitti-Italian-American family. Whatever dream it came in on, garlic and minced hot peppers slow-cooked in oil and tossed into hot pasta has stood in as my macaroni and cheese. I use the oil base for so many dishes, and after all these years I’m still experimenting with how and where to apply it.
To me it's the "Holy Trinity" of Italian cooking
Potato Salad with Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino | 6 servings
I’m starting with the basic recipe for garlic and hot peppers cooked in olive oil. You can go on with the potato salad recipe or add the concoction to hot pasta and toss it with chopped fresh parsley, brush it onto pizza dough for a “white” pizza, or use it in a marinade. Leave out the pepper flakes if your small eaters object. I prefer the flavor of Italian olive oil here, green in color, first pressing.
1/3 cup olive oil
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 3/4 pound small potatoes (new, baby red, baby Dutch, fingerling, small purple)
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 green onions, white part and 2 inches of the green, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 tablespoons capers, and some of their juice
20 pitted black olives, halved
1/4 bunch watercress, or other tart green such as arugula or Italian parsley
In a small saucepan, begin heating the olive oil over low heat. To separate individual garlic cloves from the head of garlic, place the whole head with the root end up on a board.
With the heel of your hand, give the whole garlic head a firm downward smack against the board right at the root
The force of the smack will break the cloves away from the root -- sometimes you need to give it another go but this was a dry head of garlic and broke up more than I'd have liked it to
To peel the garlic clove, use this simple method. Place a large knife flat on top of the clove. Give the top of the knife a firm smack with the heel of your hand. You’ll hear the paper crack away from the clove.
It's just a quick little blow, enough to crack the paper
Cut the little root end off the garlic clove and peel the paper off with it. The harder you smack the knife, the more smashed the garlic will be, so to keep the garlic clove whole use just enough force to loosen the papery layer. Slice the cloves into thin rounds and add them to the oil.
I don't mind the smell of garlic on my fingers, but if you want to get rid of it, rub your fingers with a lemon slice
Add the hot pepper flakes to the oil and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes or so. The garlic should not get very brown.
The smell of the garlic cooking is hard to resist
This is the color the garlic should be when it is cooked -- only slightly browner than its raw color
While the garlic is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the potatoes into large bite-sized chunks.
I've used a combination of baby Dutch and small red potatoes
Add the salt and potatoes to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook, covered for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender but not falling apart. Drain immediately. Put the hot potatoes into a large bowl and drizzle with the vinegar, tossing the hot potatoes as you go to distribute the vinegar evenly. Do the same with the olive oil mixture, tossing well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The potatoes hold their shape but are quite tender
Add the remaining ingredients.
I like to have a color balance -- and I like to balance the sweet (pepper) with salty (olives & capers) and tart (greens)
With a base of potatoes flavored with a little vinegar and the olive oil combination, any ingredients can be added. Try red onion, feta, chopped parsley, or hard-cooked egg, proscuitto, and arugula. Or how about cooked bacon, sweet onion, roasted pepper, and…well you get the idea!
