Tips for making a tasty potato salad
QUESTION: I think I make a good basic potato salad, but everybody's a critic. I hear, "I like the tang of vinegar instead of the smudge of mayonnaise," or "I make mine with a mustard-based vinaigrette." I'm looking for a couple of new recipes that will quiet my know-it-all friends.Answer:
Welcome to my world. Of course the first thing that comes to my mind is, "My, you look good in mayonnaise-smudged clothes." But I know we're too civilized to go that far. I can't believe people would come to your house, eat your potato salad, and then criticize your food. But nothing surprises me anymore.I am sending you some recipes for different potato salads, but part of the fun of potato salad is not really using measured ingredients. Have some fun with them, but remember when you talk to the police, I never suggested cyanide as an ingredient. (Just kidding.)On the serious side, the benefits of the mayonnaise (store-bought mayonnaise) potato salad, is that contrary to urban myths, store-bought mayonnaise is one of the great natural preservers.Just being hypothetical for a second, if your critics dropped dead and you spread them with store-bought mayonnaise, future archeologists would find very well-preserved nagging food critics. Assuming that you are an avid reader of this column, you'll remember that I recently talked about German potato salad and that the Germans were probably responsible for bringing potato salad to the New World. And in that recent column we mentioned that German potato salad was served warm or room temperature, and because of the high vinegar level it had a long shelf life.No one is really sure when people started serving potato salad chilled with a mayonnaise base, but this version was originally made with homemade mayonnaise before there were convenient grocery stores.Mayonnaise made at home is a totally different item from what we buy in jars at the store in that it doesn't have the acidity level and is made with raw eggs instead of pasteurized eggs. Come to think of it, once it goes bad, it would be a good way of knocking off your favorite food critic. But modern mayonnaise-based potato salad is made with store-bought mayonnaise, which has to have a high level of acidity to be sold in mass production.That acidity level is what makes commercial mayonnaise a natural preservative. When I go to a backyard barbecue, and as always am fashionably late, the first thing I do is head to items that were made with store-bought mayonnaise.Here are a few tips for creating your own critic-free, fun potato salad.• 1. Use waxy (red bliss or Yukon gold) not starchy potatoes (russet or baking potatoes).• 2. Do not salt the water. It will begin to break down the potatoes.• 3. Let them cool naturally. Do not run them under cold water (potatoes are like a sponge and will absorb the water.• 4. Hard-cooked eggs are totally optional and will not make or break or your potato salad, though you'll find them in classic southern or American potato salad recipes.n 5. If you have a favorite bottled salad dressing, use that next time and see how you like it.n 6. I love onions, so that means regular onions, green onions, and chives all make it into my potato salad.• 7. If you are a pickle fan and like adding diced pickles, and your recipe calls for a little vinegar, try a little of the pickle juice — especially if your dressing needs to be thinned out a little.• 8. And though this is certainly not classic, I like adding blanched vegetables to my potato salad (this is a great way to get your kids to eat those horrible green things).• 9. My mom would add grated cheese to potato salad, and growing up in Texas she would toss a little bit of salsa in with some cheddar and or pepper jack cheese with some jalapenos for a southwestern flair.• 10. I love bacon, but if you add it to your salad make sure it's really crispy, and if it's not going to be eaten right away, sprinkle it over the top as a garnish so it doesn't get soggy.• 11. But most important thing is that the following recipes will wear well on your picky guests.
2½ pounds small Red Bliss or Yukon Gold potatoes3 garlic cloves, chopped5 tablespoons olive oilKosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste1½ tablespoons red-wine vinegar1½ tablespoons whole grain mustard1 tablespoon chopped green onions2 teaspoons minced chives1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemaryPreheat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub the potatoes and cut them in quarters or, in eighths (but try to cut them into even sizes). Place them in a single layer in the baking dish.Scatter the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper over the potatoes, and toss. Roast for 30-40 minutes, tossing gently every 10 minutes.Beat the vinegar and mustard in a large bowl. Whisk in the remaining olive oil until smooth. Add the roasted potatoes and mix gently. Season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper, and cool to room temperature. Just before serving, fold in the green onions, chives, and rosemary.Makes 6 servings.
3 cups diced cooked new or Yukon Gold potatoes½ cup diced celery1 tablespoon diced pimiento2 tablespoon chopped sweet pickles2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onion½ cup mayonnaise½ teaspoon kosher saltFreshly ground black pepper to taste1 teaspoon Creole mustard1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice½ tablespoon chopped fresh chives2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)Combine potatoes, celery, pimiento, sweet pickles, and onion; chill.When ready to serve, combine remaining ingredients; toss with chilled potato mixture.Add a little more mayonnaise if necessary and taste for seasonings.Makes 4-6 servings.
4 cups cubed peeled potatoes4 slices bacon, diced½ cup chopped onion½ cup chopped green bell pepper¼ cup chopped celery¾ cup sour cream3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper2 hard-cooked eggs, slicedCook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.In a large skillet, saute bacon until almost crisp. Add onion, green pepper, celery; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer until tender; drain off fat.Remove from heat and let cool. Stir the sour cream with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Combine sour cream mixture and potatoes in a large serving bowl and garnish with sliced eggs.Makes 8 servings.
