Anchovy-Kissed New Potato & Lamb's Lettuce Salad with Watercress Snow

Ingredients

• ▸400 g new potatoes, scrubbed and very thinly sliced on a mandoline (about 2mm)
• ▸80 g lamb's lettuce (mâche), roots trimmed and rinsed
• ▸8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, 4 kept whole for garnish and 4 roughly chopped
• ▸60 g fresh watercress, thick stems removed
• ▸3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, cold-pressed
• ▸1.5 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar
• ▸1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ▸1 small garlic clove, microplaned or finely grated
• ▸0.5 tsp runny honey
• ▸1 tbsp cold water
• ▸0.5 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
• ▸0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• ▸1 tbsp capers in brine, drained and roughly chopped
• ▸1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• ▸0.5 lemon, zested and cut into wedges for serving
• ▸small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn

Instructions

1. 1

   1. At least 2 hours before serving (or the night before), make the watercress snow: combine the 60 g watercress, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, honey, cold water, salt, and pepper in a high-speed blender. Blitz on high for 60 seconds until completely smooth and vivid green. Taste and adjust salt or acid. Pour the vinaigrette into a shallow freezer-safe container or ice-cube tray and freeze until solid, at least 90 minutes.

2. 2

   2. While the vinaigrette freezes, prepare the potatoes. Slice them paper-thin on a mandoline (use the guard — anchovy salad is not improved by blood). Lay the slices in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel and press gently with another towel to remove excess moisture. This step is crucial: dry potato surfaces absorb the vinaigrette flavors far more dramatically than wet ones.

3. 3

   3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the thinly sliced raw potatoes with the 4 roughly chopped anchovy fillets and the drained capers. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 10 minutes — the salt from the anchovies and capers will begin to very gently cure the potato slices, softening their raw edge without cooking them.

4. 4

   4. Scatter the lamb's lettuce across a wide, chilled serving platter or two shallow bowls. Arrange the anchovy-dressed potato slices loosely over the top, keeping some height and airiness in the pile rather than flattening everything down.

5. 5

   5. Remove the frozen vinaigrette from the freezer. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, scrape and flake the frozen block aggressively into a coarse, granular snow — think Italian granita texture, not a smooth scoop. Work quickly so it doesn't melt in your hands.

6. 6

   6. Immediately scatter generous spoonfuls of the watercress snow across the warm-room-temperature salad. The snow will begin melting on contact with the potatoes, releasing tiny cold bursts of grassy, peppery vinaigrette that pool at the base of the bowl.

7. 7

   7. Drape the 4 reserved whole anchovy fillets artfully over the top. Scatter the toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, and torn parsley. Finish with an extra pinch of flaky sea salt and a few extra cracks of black pepper.

8. 8

   8. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side. The window of optimal texture is about 4 minutes — that's when the snow is half-melted, the potatoes are lightly dressed, and the lamb's lettuce is still crisp. Eat fast and unapologetically.

Variations

• ◆Vegan Snow: Replace the anchovy fillets with 1 tbsp white miso whisked into the vinaigrette before freezing, and add 1 tsp nori flakes for brininess. The glutamate hit is nearly identical and the snow turns a deeper forest green.
• ◆Warm Potato Version: If raw potato texture feels too adventurous, steam the sliced potatoes for exactly 4 minutes until just barely tender but still holding their shape, then cool to room temperature before assembling. The temperature contrast against the vinaigrette snow becomes even more pronounced.
• ◆Tonnato Twist: Blend 30 g good-quality canned tuna into the watercress vinaigrette before freezing for a richer, more protein-forward snow that nods to classic vitello tonnato and turns this into a more substantial lunch.