Insalata Pantasca
Insalata pantasca is the potato and tomato salad of Pantelleria, a small,
poor island near Sicily, which is famous for its capers. Big, fat capers, full
of flavor and packed in salt. Like any local recipe, this has as many
variations as there are cooks. The fish that you would find in the
Pantelleria salad, however, is something you can’t locate in this country. I
like sardines in it; you might try something different, such as smoked trout.
You wouldn’t find yellow-fleshed potatoes on the island, but I love their
flavor in this salad. The more traditional choices would be whites, or
red-skinned — something on the waxy side.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed
-
coarse salt
-
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (quartered if very large)
-
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
-
1/3 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and halved
-
2 tablespoons salted capers, well rinsed and drained
-
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
-
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-
1 teaspoon dried oregano
-
1/4 cup olive oil
-
1 (3.75 ounce) can sardines in olive oil
-
DIRECTIONS Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water by at least an inch, add a
good pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover partway, reduce the heat to
medium, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain on a rack set in the
sink and leave them there until cool enough to handle.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/3-inch cubes. Drop them into a mixing
bowl, separating the cubes as you go. Add the tomatoes, onion, olives,
capers, parsley, and red pepper. Toss gently. Crumble the oregano over the
top, pour in the oil, and toss gently.
Transfer the salad to a large serving dish. Drain the sardines and blot them
with paper towels, then arrange them over the salad. Let this sit for 30
minutes, and serve it at room temperature.
