A sweet-sharp salad with a creamy dressing. Avoid the temptation to overmix the salad, as the beets are inclined to send everything a very unfetching shade of marshmallow pink.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4 as a light main course

　　waxy potatoes – 10 1/2 ounces (300g)

　　small cooked beets – 4

　　pickled herring fillets – 6

　　medium gherkins – 4

　　green onions – 4

　　dill – a small bunch

　　arugula leaves – 7 ounces (200g)

　　

For the Dressing

red wine vinegar – a tablespoon

　　olive oil – a tablespoon

　　smooth Dijon mustard – a teaspoon

　　crème fraîche – a scant 1/2 cup (100ml)

　　yogurt – a scant 1/2 cup (100g)

　　

Step 1

Scrub the potatoes and bring them to a boil in deep salted water. Let them simmer for fifteen minutes or so, until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

　　

Step 2

Peel the beets, cut them into thick wedges, and put them in a bowl. Remove the little wooden sticks that inevitably come with marinated herrings and cut each fillet into six chunks, then add to the beets but do not mix. Thickly slice the gherkins and add them to the beets and herring. Chop the green onions and the dill and add to the bowl. Rinse the arugula and check it over, removing any thick stalks or wilted leaves. Keep separate from the rest of the ingredients.

　　

Step 3

Drain the potatoes, then peel off their skins as soon as they are cool enough to hold. Don’t let them get cold, though; you need to dress them while they are still warm. Cut each potato in half if they are very small, quarters if not, and add them to the mixing bowl.

　　

Step 4

Mix the vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl or jar with a fork and season with salt and black pepper and the mustard. Beat in the crème fraîche and yogurt. Gently fold the dressing into the rest of the ingredients in the bowl, stirring only lightly to avoid the beets sending everything pink. Divide the arugula among four plates and pile the potato salad on top.

　　Tender