Pretty Classic Potato Salad (with Pickles!)
Potato salad is one of those dishes that — like coleslaw — befuddled me for a long time. So mayonaissey! So gloppy! So textureless! But it doesn’t have to be that way. In the last year or so, I’ve come around to both coleslaw and potato salad, to the point where I now actually (shamefully?) even enjoy the gloppy versions on rare occasions (as an accompaniment to a 3 am sandwich and fries at the 24-hour diner across the street? sure.). Making either coleslaw or potato salad yourself, though, yields such exponentially greater results than buying it. Not only oodles more for your buck, but also something actually worth eating (and sharing).
For my first potato salad, I had various fancy ideas (bacon? toasted walnuts?), but when I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I knew I had to make it. It comes from Rosanne Cash, Johnny Cash’s daughter, which somehow makes it irresistible. As do the chunks of pickles (much-commented upon and much-appreciated by the Southerners at the bbq), and the general low quantity of mayo. I like a little bite to my potato salad, so I upped the red onion and vinegar (doubling each); you can bring them back down if you want something a little more mellow.
Next up, Eudora Welty’s potato salad. (Kevin also wrote about a recipe for warm potato salad with goat cheese that sounds divine, if not as portable.)
Oh, and note: I found that the leftovers tasted absolutely fine (everything still perfectly crunchy) after being in my fridge for a day. If anything, the flavors may have melded together even better. So, possible to make ahead.
Rosanne Cash’s Americana Potato Salad
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Bon Appetit
Serves at least 8
Ingredients
- 3 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
- 8 dill pickle spears or a handful of cornichon, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium red onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. (You can also cut up the potatoes before boiling – it will take much less time…I’m not sure if there’s any downside, in fact.)
- Drain and cool, then cut potatoes into chunks and transfer to large bowl. Stir in pickles, celery, onion, eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and dill. Season potato salad to taste with salt and pepper.
I have such bad luck with potatoe salad. It just tastes bland and dry for some reason – even the ones that call for a lot of mayo. I’m going to try this one. The only change I might make is 1/3 cup mayo and 1/3 cup of sour cream. I read a nice review about potatoe salad and how sourcream can be one of those secrets people never think about.
Every once in awhile I pick a site to try things out from and this is the site. I’ve tried two recipes so far and this will be my third. The beet spread posted might be another one I try.
Did you ever end up making Eudora Welty’s potato salad?
I did the best I could to follow the somewhat vague directions for making the Eudora Welty’s potato salad. The story was so lovely and I was so curious – I decided to make it.
This was after I chose to buy the book it recommends in the article – “Zimmermans Guide to Good Eating”. I follow the homemade mayonaisse in that book. The book is way more than just a recipe about mayonaiise. I’m really liking it so far.
I’ll be serving the potatoe salad tomorrow for diner. I have yet to serve it.