Salade Lyonnaise

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

1 pound fingerling or new potatoes
2 links Italian or other mild sausage, about 8 ounces (240g)
2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
Scant tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon or spicy brown mustard
Salt
Black pepper
2 green onions
Mesclun, romaine, arugula or other salad greens of your choice

PROCEDURE:

1. Put the potatoes (whole, skins on) in a saucepan with water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon salt, cover, bring to a full boil, then reduce heat and simmer until they're tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Put the sausage links in a pan with water to cover. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.

3. While the potatoes and sausage are cooking, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, white wine and mustard into a vinaigrette.

4. Drain the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch slices. Put them in a large bowl and pour the vinaigrette over them while still hot. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss and stir gently, taking care not to break up the potatoes.

5. Drain the sausage, rinse off excess fat, and cut into thin slices. Mix with the potatoes and set aside to cool for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.

6. Chop the scallions, stir into the potatoes and sausage. Check seasoning and serve atop a bed of salad greens. Makes a meal in itself on a hot spring or summer evening.

MATCHING WINE: Although the conventional wisdom holds that tart salad dressings "war" with wine, the substantial presence of potatoes in sausage in this one carry the day, with the vinaigrette acting as more of a condiment than the dominating flavor. It was excellent with Château de Lascaux 1999 "Les Nobles Pierres" Pic Saint-Loup (an excellent Coteaux de Languedoc Syrah) and would go very well indeed with either a red or white Burgundy.