I Say Potato, You Say......

It is summer. Therefor, it is potato salad season. But there are some potato salads (hereafter refered to as 'PS') that are to 'real PS as Velveeta is to real cheese.

There are many variables. The choice of potato is important - I favour red skinned nuggets, but other types also have their advocates. The liquid additives have a huge effect on the final product - is it Alsatian style with vinegar in a star role, or is it a mayo based mix? I almost always add fresh lemon juice for the brightness it brings.

The herbal additions add a wide spectrum of flavours. Rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme......

I am posting to ask if anyone has a recipe that they give a clear first place to - a recipe that we would be fortunate to be allowed to share. Any prize winners here? Any secret ingredients? Any favourite herb combinations?

It is summer. Therefor, it is potato salad season. But there are some potato salads (hereafter refered to as 'PS') that are to 'real PS as Velveeta is to real cheese.

There are many variables. The choice of potato is important - I favour red skinned nuggets, but other types also have their advocates. The liquid additives have a huge effect on the final product - is it Alsatian style with vinegar in a star role, or is it a mayo based mix? I almost always add fresh lemon juice for the brightness it brings.

The herbal additions add a wide spectrum of flavours. Rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme......

I am posting to ask if anyone has a recipe that they give a clear first place to - a recipe that we would be fortunate to be allowed to share. Any prize winners here? Any secret ingredients? Any favourite herb combinations?

I am a fan of warm Bavarian-style potato salads (or are those Kartofellsalate? ) I generally use thinly sliced potato and onion, which I sauté on olive oil or duck fat until both are soft, then toss with cider vinegar, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Mark Lipton

I posted this one eleven years ago, back on the old board. It's my absolute favorite version of potato salad and one that's always gone over well with a crowd.

Potato Salad Nicoise
(adapted from a recipe for "Big Sky Nicoise Salad" in Food and Wine, August 1999)

4 T fresh lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 small garlic cloves, mashed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 c extra virgin olive oil
2 T drained capers
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 lb small red potatoes
9 oz haricot vert or thin green beans , stemmed
1 lb smoked trout, skin discarded, and fish flaked
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (very small ones can be left whole)
3/4 c pitted Kalamata olives

There will probably be leftover lemon-caper vinaigrette. It can be made ahead and stored for up to three days in the refrigerator.

1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice with the vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic, and lemon zest and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine on, add the olive oil in a thin stream and blend until emulsified. Add the capers and a large pinch each of salt and pepper and pulse until the capers are coarsely chopped.

2. Put the potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 18 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Pat dry and cut into quarters.

3. Return the water to a boil. Add the haricot verts and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Pat dry.

4. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, haricot verts, and trout with about half the dressing. Add the tomatoes and olives and mix gently, adding dressing as necessary. Can be served immediately or chilled before serving.

Gone, but not forgotten, Mike:

Potato Salad Niçoise

Mark Lipton

This is a family recipe that has been handed down. I believe it is pretty much a standard type, as Chef Carey served this exact salad with fried chicken at a picnic lunch when I saw him in Oregon a few years ago.
Potato Salad
5 lbs. potatoes, white or red, cut up into approx. 3/4 inch cubes and cooked
(I prefer steaming in a basket)
6 hard boiled eggs
(keep 1-2 center slice from each egg for garnish – chop remaining)
1 cup finely chopped celery
(use leaves also if available)
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
(red if using white potatoes, white if using red potatoes)
1 green pepper
(cut 4 thin center rings for garnish – chop remaining)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and dry mustard powder in large bowl. Stir in chopped eggs, celery, onion and chopped green pepper. Add cooled potatoes and stir to mix thoroughly. Garnish top with egg slices and green pepper slices. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate before serving.

So far I'm liking the simplicity of Mark's version.

While I'm sure the folks on here are all good cooks, one reason that I often stay away from potato salads at parties when they look too 'busy' is that I just don't trust what went into their making! Plus there are too many ways to go wrong.

So far I am a big fan of capers and other pickled veggies in these salads, not so big a fan about green beans (chopped celery is fine) and am pretty indifferent to hard boiled eggs - from where I sit (or where my palate sits) a hard boiled egg really doesn't add much flavour nor does it add anything much to the textural side of things (I know that Jenise will agree with this

Cherry tomatos - yes. Smoked trout - yes, all interesting additions.

Dijon - classic. Olives don't seem to me as classic an addition, although they are good and I have no problem with the Nicois-ization of the original Alsatian concept.

I like simple (Alsarian is normally pretty simple) and I also like some complex recipes, although the risk is that a really complex recipe ends up with muddled flavours.

Gone, but not forgotten, Mike:

Potato Salad Niçoise

Mark Lipton

The very post I pasted from.

Turns out I actually posted it to the new board a couple of years ago, though!

I am up in the air with potato salads. I am staying away from mayo as much as I can. I like tarragon and vinegar in my potato salad. A little non- fat sour cream and or Dijon is OK. I'm finding the simpler the better. I like sweet pickles or my pickled sweet banana peppers. I like to add the vinegar while the potatoes are hot and let it soak in, then add the rest of the ingredients later. Kalamata olives would be great. Parsley, cilantro, are fine. I do make a few that get good reviews, but have yet to create the one, I can call perfect. I am getting close. I also like lemon juice and champagne vinegar in my potato salads, not necessarily together. Mixed spices are out. Coarse sea salt and white pepper are in, as are fresh herbs, or dried Thyme. I just have not found the perfect combo. I'm working on it this summer as potato salads seem to be calling me.

[Jenise]

While I'm sure the folks on here are all good cooks, one reason that I often stay away from potato salads at parties when they look too 'busy' is that I just don't trust what went into their making! Plus there are too many ways to go wrong.

I am so thrilled to learn that someone else on this planet looks askance at potato salads made by strangers (well, when a creamy element is involved, which i presume you mean though you did not stipulate it).

While I'm sure the folks on here are all good cooks, one reason that I often stay away from potato salads at parties when they look too 'busy' is that I just don't trust what went into their making! Plus there are too many ways to go wrong.

I am so thrilled to learn that someone else on this planet looks askance at potato salads made by strangers (well, when a creamy element is involved, which i presume you mean though you did not stipulate it).

Yes, my whole family is that way. We're also skeptical of those pasta/macaroni salads, all deviled egg dishes, or pretty much anything with eggs and or creamy elements when made by strangers with no one to vouch for them!

And to tie together threads, we all grew up with a lot of church potlucks where people served much worse than that corn salad mentioned elsewhere!

I am so thrilled to learn that someone else on this planet looks askance at potato salads made by strangers (well, when a creamy element is involved, which i presume you mean though you did not stipulate it).

Uh - I will be making a potato salad this weekend and I recall you characterizing me as being pretty strange, so.....I'll expect you to taste it and report back!

A "real" PS is similar to the ones my grandmothers made. They were similar but not identical, and I don't have the recipe. I expect the reason is that there never was a written recipe.
They both used peeled white potatoes, sliced thick and probably quartered (it's a bit hard to remember after all these years). Celery, not much onion, Heinz sweet pickle relish and chopped hard-boiled eggs were there. Both dressings used mayonnaise, though Grandma's was a bit tarter than Grammy's. I'm sure neither used anything expensive like cream!
Sprinkled with paprika.
I've tried over the years and occasionally come within a mile or so, but haven't really managed to replicate my half-century-plus old memories.

John

Here's a recipe I got from a Good Housekeeping cook book about 40 years ago. I also saw this same recipe on Cooks.com just a few months ago.

2 lbs new potatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/2 cup chive cottage cheese
9 tbsp mayo
1 1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground black peper to taste
a few dashes of cayenne pepper

Boil the potatoes in their skins @ 15 - 17 min, then drain, let cool, peel and slice @ 1/8 inch thick.
Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in a bowl, followed by 1/3 each of the onions, cottage cheese, mayo, salt, some pepper and a shake of the cayenne. Put on two more layers, cover and chill @ 24 hrs.
Toss well before serving.

I like a sour cream potato salad of the Jewish deli variety. My family is more partial to the mustard/hard boiled egg variety of potato salad. But, it never occurred to me to look ascance at other people's mayonnaise-based fare. I consider it all a crap shoot. The one time I got food poisoning it was from a restaurant (Chinese). I find that I am more attracted to foods that are attractively displayed, rather than content. I absolutely hate going to a house party and finding things in aluminum pans or in casserole dishes lined with aluminum foil. It only takes 5 minutes to put something in an attractive plate or bowl. Don't know why, but it bugs me!

Jenise raises an interesting issue, her egg/mayo aversion aside.

Mayonnaise has a bad rep as far as spoilage is concerned. In the case of store bought, an undeserved one as the pasteurized contents of the bottle include a ton of acid and I believe actually acts as a mild antibacterial agent - the pros on the group should please chip in with any facts they may have on this. Here are some on a food site: http://blog.fooducate.com/2009/03/27/11-things-you-didnt-know-about-mayonnaise/ I have long suspected that you could probably leave an opened jar at room temperature for some time before any degradation set in (but fo course haven't tested that, although the temptation when in-laws were coming over was hard to resist)

Home made mayo (my favourite kind - mmmmm - aioli! - isn't pasteurized, obviously, and will have a shorter life. Although reputed to be 3-4 days, I always make it fresh the day I use it and rarely keep it refrigerated more than overnight. I tend to be conservative about spoilage issues.

This is my favorite. Wish Len was a fan so I could make it more often. I usually add par-boiled green beans to it, and instead of the dill I use lemon zest.

Barefoot Contessa's French Potato Salad
Ingredients
1 pound small white boiling potatoes
1 pound small red boiling potatoes
2 tablespoons good dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken stock
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions
Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Me likey, Carrie - I saved that one!

[Jenise]

or pretty much anything with eggs and or creamy elements when made by strangers

That's it, in a nutshell. But no family training in my case. In fact, until you spoke up, I thought I was alone in the universe.



But back to Bill's question: I love and make four or five different potato salad styles, depending on the day. A favorite that no one else has mentioned is Burgundian, where warm sliced potatoes are topped with chopped shallots, chicken broth, white wine and a little white vinegar and, when cool, copious amounts of chopped fresh herbs including parsley and chives at a minimum. Tarragon is the next great addition IMO, so I make this a lot in summer when I have fresh tarragon in my garden.

Sorry folks, I get mine from the deli.

Sorry folks, I get mine from the deli.

Carl!

That's like having McDonalds as your sole source of beef!

There is so much more possible!

Then there's Julia's. It's my go to. As others have mentioned, I love the technique of adding the vinegar to the still hot potatoes. And I add Dijon to the mayo.

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes (or other waxy boiling potatoes)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup chicken stock or 1/3 cup potato water
2/3 cup onion (finely chopped)
1/2 cup celery (finely chopped)
3 -4 slices bacon (crisply cooked, chopped or crumbled)
2 -3 tablespoons dill pickle relish or 2 -3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 eggs (hard-boiled, peeled & sliced thin)
3 tablespoons chives (finely chopped) or 3 tablespoons scallions (finely chopped)
salt
white pepper (freshly ground if avail.)
1 cup mayonnaise (homemade if possible)
sour cream (optional)

Sorry folks, I get mine from the deli.

Carl!

That's like having McDonalds as your sole source of beef!

There is so much more possible!

McDonald's doesn't have eight different choices of burgers like my deli has of potato salad.