Pommes de terre aux bananes et persil

I love the idea of Potato Salad, in theory. Especially a warm Potato Salad--warm, cooked Potatoes, creamy sauce--perfect for a summer meal. Unfortunately, in practice, I'm never happy with Potato Salad. I find it extremely bland, gloopy and overly sweet. Now, I'm not against mixing sweet foods into a savory dish. But only when the combination still tastes fresh and simple works well together--not just with a ton of Mayonnaise (which the Boy detests) or, worse yet, Ketchup, thrown in out of sheer boredom or because everyone else does it. For me, if a savory food has a sweetness to it, I like it to be because something that happens to be sweet (such as Fruit) has been surreptitiously added. I would also love to find a Potato Salad with a real kick to it--Mustard instead of the ubiquitious Mayonnaise.

I'm sure this all sounds like a boring, angry rant, and I do apologize for its rant-like qualities. It is all the preface, though, to the fact that I finally broke down what I do and don't like about Potato Salad and made my own version--spicy, sweet, warm and delicious. Inspired by Patatas Bravas, I added in mashed Banana and some fresh Parsley from my now-dead Parsley Plant. I don't remember what I served this with, but it was absolutely delicious. Enjoy!

Pommes de terre aux bananes et persil

• 3 tablespoons + 1 cup Olive Oil
• 4 Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons Green Onions, minced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• Leaves of 1 stem Thyme
• 1/2 cup Banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup Mustard
• Fleur de Sel, to taste
• 2 stems Parsley, chopped
  

Heat 3 tablespoons Olive Oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add Green Onions and Garlic and saute until soft. Turn off heat and add Salt, Pepper, Herbes de Provence, Paprika, Pepper Flakes and Thyme. Transfer to a bowl and add Banana and Mustard, mixing well. Add Fleur de Sel, if necessary. Let sit while flavors meld and you prepare Potatoes.

Heat 1 cup Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Salt and Pepper Potatoes and add (carefully!) to skillet (oil will splatter). Fry, moving potatoes around occasionally with a spatula, until golden-brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet and drain of excess oil on paper towels.

Add Potatoes to Sauce and mix well. Garnish with Parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!