Potato Salad

[Franci]

And a Tunisian version:

3 potatos, boiled peeled and sliced or cubed

1 tsp of small capers, rinsed from the salt or brine

1 thinly sliced onion (or half an onion if it's large)

1 Tbsp chopped black olives

1 Tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix everything but the oil, season with salt and pepper then add the oil.

I also tried this one! Very nice. I don't like mayo based potato salads and made it different times in last couple years.

[Darienne]

Because I have been asked by a couple of eGers for my sweet potato salad and because this is the current thread I'll post it here. It's nothing like the traditional white potato salad but it's our family favorites. It was put together from a few other recipes which I had found with my own additions and subtractions, etc. I guess that makes it mine.

Darienne’s sweet potato, poblano, corn & black bean salad

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled & diced small (3ish cups)

6 medium poblanos

1 can niblets corn

1 can black beans drained & rinsed.

½ red onion diced finely

1 medium red/ or other bell pepper diced

Dressing:

juice and zest of 1 lime (more juice is needed)
1 t. dijon mustard
1/4 c. olive oil
2 t. chopped (fresh) cilantro or basil

1 t. chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Roast sweet potatoes and poblanos at 375f 20 – 30 mins. Turn occasionally.

Fry niblets (or straight out of the can).

Into large bowl mix beans, onion, red pepper, corn, poblanos, sweet potatoes.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lime juice, zest, mustard & herbs. Add to salad mixture and stir gently. Salt and pepper to taste. Add additional lime juice as desired.

Also:

* I use fresh, canned, bottled or dried parts of this salad when I don't have fresh

* often leave out/forget the dijon

[rotuts]

many thanks!

a keeper.

Edited May 21, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[Jaymes]

I like potato salad made of baby Charlottes roasted with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of garlic, left to cool somewhat and added to roughly chopped watercress and finely chopped celery, cucumber and black olives, so the vegetables and potatoes are about 50% of the salad each.

I am curious about this one - with watercress, cucumber, olives, garlic, etc.

Very interesting combination.

I checked your profile and found no hint of what part of the world you're from, so I wonder what (if any) particular culture might have influenced this recipe. I know it's the first time I've ever heard of watercress in a potato salad.

[Shel_B]

I like potato salad made of baby Charlottes roasted with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of garlic, left to cool somewhat and added to roughly chopped watercress and finely chopped celery, cucumber and black olives, so the vegetables and potatoes are about 50% of the salad each.

I am curious about this one - with watercress, cucumber, olives, garlic, etc.

[...] I wonder what (if any) particular culture might have influenced this recipe. I know it's the first time I've ever heard of watercress in a potato salad.

My ex-wife, born and raised in California, and with an English background, put watercress in her potato salad ... and other salads as well. I don't know if it was a cultural thing, or if she (or her family) just liked watercress.

[Shel_B]

Put the eggs and the rinsed and scrubbed (if they need it) potatoes into a large stockpot. Fill with water to cover a little over. Add the crab/shrimp boil and bring to boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 min). Drain into colander. Peel the eggs and potatoes. Chop the eggs and potatoes and put into a large bowl.

Boiling eggs over high heat for twenty minutes seems excessive. I'd imagine the yolks would be very dry and the whites quite rubbery. Is this the case? Is this the texture you're looking for in this salad? How fine do you chop the eggs?

[Shel_B]

I'm hoping to serve a dilled potato salad later this week. Any updates from the Research Departments?

Did you find a recipe/technique you like? Recently I made a potato salad that was very well received using chopped dill pickles and their juice, and a nice amount of dill weed. The recipe I used was based on a CI recipe ... I'd be happy to post my version as I suspect I can't post the CI version.

ETA: Didn't notice the date on this thread or your post.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Shel_B (log)

[pangty]

If you are trying to reduce the moist in the potatoes, I think baking it in oven is the best way. You can wrap it in foil if don’t want it to be too dry or burn.

[ePressureCooker]

As to the method of cooking your potatoes, not surprisingly given my username, I'd recommend using a pressure cooker (if you have one) as the best method to cook the potatoes [...] My second choice would be steaming, with a lid on top of the steamer, to hold as much of the steaming liquid flavorings in the pot as possible.

I don't have a pressure cooker, and am not considering getting one. I was hoping to get some more info re: steaming vs boiling. Thanks!

As I said, steaming would be my choice between steaming and boiling. They absorb much less water, retain much more potato flavor, in my opinion.

[Jaymes]

Put the eggs and the rinsed and scrubbed (if they need it) potatoes into a large stockpot. Fill with water to cover a little over. Add the crab/shrimp boil and bring to boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 min). Drain into colander. Peel the eggs and potatoes. Chop the eggs and potatoes and put into a large bowl.

Boiling eggs over high heat for twenty minutes seems excessive. I'd imagine the yolks would be very dry and the whites quite rubbery. Is this the case? Is this the texture you're looking for in this salad? How fine do you chop the eggs?

Well, yes. Usually I do remove the eggs before twenty minutes. And I just chop the eggs to a sort of medium dice - about 3/4", I guess I'd say. The potatoes a little bigger.

[Plantes Vertes]

I like potato salad made of baby Charlottes roasted with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of garlic, left to cool somewhat and added to roughly chopped watercress and finely chopped celery, cucumber and black olives, so the vegetables and potatoes are about 50% of the salad each.

I am curious about this one - with watercress, cucumber, olives, garlic, etc.

Very interesting combination.

I checked your profile and found no hint of what part of the world you're from, so I wonder what (if any) particular culture might have influenced this recipe. I know it's the first time I've ever heard of watercress in a potato salad.

Hi Jaymes, I'm British. Watercress is a popular salad around here so I suppose availability is a factor in the potato dish, which isn't a strange combination in this country. We have the mayonnaise version too. This is the potato salad my father used to make when I was growing up, but I think it probably arose out of what was in the fridge one day rather than any particular cultural provenance.

[Jaymes]

I like potato salad made of baby Charlottes roasted with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of garlic, left to cool somewhat and added to roughly chopped watercress and finely chopped celery, cucumber and black olives, so the vegetables and potatoes are about 50% of the salad each.

I am curious about this one - with watercress, cucumber, olives, garlic, etc.

Very interesting combination.

I checked your profile and found no hint of what part of the world you're from, so I wonder what (if any) particular culture might have influenced this recipe. I know it's the first time I've ever heard of watercress in a potato salad.

Hi Jaymes, I'm British. Watercress is a popular salad around here so I suppose availability is a factor in the potato dish, which isn't a strange combination in this country. We have the mayonnaise version too. This is the potato salad my father used to make when I was growing up, but I think it probably arose out of what was in the fridge one day rather than any particular cultural provenance.

Is there a lot of watercress? Like a main-ingredient kind of thing? Or is it just used more sparingly, for seasoning, like parsley?

[Plantes Vertes]

Is there a lot of watercress? Like a main-ingredient kind of thing? Or is it just used more sparingly, for seasoning, like parsley?

Yep, there's a lot! The salad (ie, not-potato) part is mainly watercress.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[Jaymes]

Is there a lot of watercress? Like a main-ingredient kind of thing? Or is it just used more sparingly, for seasoning, like parsley?

Yep, there's a lot! The salad (ie, not-potato) part is mainly watercress.

And (I'm assuming from the first post where you initially mentioned it) it's dressed very simply, with just olive oil, lemon juice and garlic - maybe that clove-of-garlic-and-salt paste thing. Is that right?

Edited May 29, 2013 by Jaymes (log)

[Plantes Vertes]

Is there a lot of watercress? Like a main-ingredient kind of thing? Or is it just used more sparingly, for seasoning, like parsley?

Yep, there's a lot! The salad (ie, not-potato) part is mainly watercress.

And (I'm assuming from the first post where you initially mentioned it) it's dressed very simply, with just olive oil, lemon juice and garlic - maybe that clove-of-garlic-and-salt paste thing. Is that right?

My dad likes olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and coarse-ground black pepper; I prefer 50-50 olive and vegetable oils, garlic, wholegrain mustard, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt, coarse-ground pepper and a pinch of sugar. I smash the garlic with the heel of the knife so that the juices come out but the clove remains intact, drop it into the vinaigrette and leave it to release its flavours for a bit.

[Katie Meadow]

Okay, one question. I like all kinds of potato salads and I pretty much wing it at this point according to ingredients and my mood. Potato salad I don't like is what is usually served as a side to BBQ: the potatoes are overcooked russets and there is ten times too much mayo and often a high sweetness factor from god knows what. I mean they might as well be putting marshmallows in there. But my question is really about mayo. I find that almost all published recipes for a mayo based dressing calls for about 2 to 4 times as much mayo and/or dressing as is either prudent or appealing. And I am not talking about 50's magazine recipes, either; I'm finding this to be the case in upscale current recipes as well. When using a new recipe for potato salad I routinely cut the dressing ingredients in half and then don't end up using it all anyway. Many traditional American potato salads seem to be designed to hide lousy potatoes or else they are shilling for the mayo industry. Please tell me I'm not alone.

[FrogPrincesse]

You are not alone... I like potato salad as long as it's not saturated with mayonnaise. I also like the French version where the dressing is an olive oil vinaigrette with plenty of vinegar and a bunch of chives/parsley, and shallots.

[rotuts]

and of course there is that delicious Warm German P.S.

[basquecook]

I made a potato salad of sorts the other day.. roasted baby potatoes in salt, when they were finished, i took them out and let cool.. Then tossed while warm in a tarragon and garlic homemade mayo. It was like one of 10 dishes I was making for a gathering of friends.. I didn't really give it much thought as I had left over tarragon and all of these potatoes left over from an event.. It was funny as people a few people were asking me for the potato recipe and it was the most simple item on the table.

Edited June 19, 2013 by basquecook (log)

[SobaAddict70]

This is a version I did several years ago:





Caramelized onion and fromage blanc omelette with "deconstructed" German potato salad

http://kitchenseasons.com/2008/03/13/dinner-improv/

The red stuff is Chioggia beets.

[Jaymes]

This is a version I did several years ago:

Caramelized onion and fromage blanc omelette with "deconstructed" German potato salad

http://kitchenseasons.com/2008/03/13/dinner-improv/

The red stuff is Chioggia beets.

Wow, Soba, pretty spectacular. But you say you made it "several years ago." Not since? It looks so good....

[sadistick]

Dill is a great addition and main flavour profile to a potato salad.

As are roasted leeks.

[furzzy]

Katie Meadow You are not alone. So much of everything seems to be overdressed these days. That's why so many people ask for salad dressings 'on the side,' I think.

basquecook Proof once again that a few simple ingredients, expertly combined, are The Best. I'd bet the reason people asked was because they couldn't figure out what the "secret" was since it was so simple.

Soba Wondering the same thing as Jaymes. Also, whether the beets are roasted or pickled?

[rotuts]

one of my favorite Potato Salads is one of the easiest: it also gets eaten up fast when i take it somewhere. it has a secret ingredient where nothing else will do ( for this type of PS ) : Penzey's (original) Chicago Steak seasoning:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyschicago.html

the second penzeys like store does not make this the same way. this seasoning is also excellent or burgers, steaks ( ) salmon etc.

pick your favorite potato. I dont peel. you might. i like russets. cook until just done then slice into the size you want. sprinkle a

little of the Chicago Steak seasoning over the warm potatoes. green onion tops chopped fine mayo with a little more of the chicago seasoning mix this in and let it sit a bit to disolve. then mix together

you will be surprised.

[SobaAddict70]

Jaymes -- no, I haven't since.

furzzy -- the beets are roasted, then tossed with some white wine vinegar, sea salt and black pepper and left to marinate for about 30 minutes. Since they're sweet, I wanted to provide a little contrast before assembling the salad.