Melissa Clark is one of my favorite food writers at the New York Times. In fact, her book, Dinner in French, is one of my go-to’s for inspiration and French cuisine.

With our granddaughter’s egg allergy, I am always looking for egg-free dishes that are delicious and appealing. This creamy potato salad, which we rolled out for our Independence Day lunch, was terrific – I’m sure no one missed the hard boiled eggs or mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ pounds yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used a mix of smaller potatoes and threw in some Yukon Golds left from a prior cooking experience)
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bunches scallions, trimmed
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ cup tahini
•  Ice water, as needed
• ½ cup soft herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, mint, dill or a combination

Method

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the kind of potato. Drain very well. (I did this step the day before and then rewarmed the potatoes before assembling)
2. Heat the broiler. Arrange 1 bunch scallions on a sheet pan. Thinly slice the other bunch, reserving the slices for serving.
3. Season the whole scallions in the pan with salt and pepper, and very lightly drizzle with olive oil. Broil until charred, tossing occasionally, for 3 to 7 minutes (keep your eye on these – my broiler needed only 3 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Coarsely chop scallions and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, cumin and a large pinch of salt. Let sit for 1 minute to mellow the garlic and dissolve the salt.
5. Whisk in tahini, then gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time (about 3 to 6 tablespoons total), until the sauce thickens and is smooth enough to drizzle. The sauce can take 30 seconds to 1 minute to thicken so keep whisking; if it gets too thick, thin it down with a little more water. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.
6. Transfer hot potatoes and charred scallions to bowl with tahini dressing. Drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and toss until potatoes are well coated. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
7. Let cool to room temperature for at least an hour before serving, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The potatoes will absorb the dressing as they sit.
8. Just before serving, taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed, and toss with the raw scallion slices and herbs.