Potato Salad

[rslux]

I really hate mayo so for me, it's German style potato salad or nothing.

[Suzanne F]

I really hate mayo so for me, it's German style potato salad or nothing.

Not even French??? I guarantee, if you try the one in The Way to Cook, you'll have an alternative.

[awbrig]

im with rslux, i dont do mayo either! Trotter has a great potato salad w smoked salmon and horseradish that is excellent...I also want to try out that Flay recipe someone mentioned earlier w saffron...

[stefanyb]

This may be something everyone already knows but when I discovered it I was just ecstatic. That is, after boiling the potatoes, slice them by using a hard boiled egg slicer. Definitely use waxy potatoes and then sprinkle with white wine vinegar while still warm. What you do from there is your choice, you can hardly go wrong.

[Suzanne F]

Stephanyb -- does it work if you leave the skin on, or do you have to peel them? In any case, BRILLIANT!!!

[stefanyb]

Stephanyb -- does it work if you leave the skin on, or do you have to peel them?  In any case, BRILLIANT!!!

I can't take the credit for it but thanks anyway. I have done it with tiny red bliss with the skin on but if you slip off the skin first it comes out a little neater. If you can get potatoes about the size of eggs, thats good but you can always quarter the larger ones. The one caveat is not to overcook the spuds.

[Aurora]

I love mayo in my potato salad, but I make my own with flavored oils and the flavor possibilities are endless. Miracle Whip...the sandwich and salad world knows no greater affront.

I like to use red potatos. I also like Yukon Gold potatos. I sometimes mix them with fingerlings, but when I do that I cook the different types of potatos separately. I usually boil the potatos in salted water, but I have also roasted them. The skin always stays on. I like to assemble the potato salad while the potatos are still warm.

I have added various things in different combinations: bacon, roasted mushrooms, cheese--sometimes coarsely grated, sometimes fine, sometimes cubed or crumbled (blue cheese is amazing), dill, tarragon, chives. If celery is added, it must be finely chopped. I cannot stand big chunks of celery in anything. Red onion, shallots, green onion, parsley and garlic are a must. I also like using dry mustard and a good amount of cracked pepper. An occasional splash of red wine, white wine or cider vinegar gives it a nice punch.

Not being an egg fan, I generally don't add them, but I will used chopped hard-boiled eggs with the yolks removed from time to time.

The recipe with sausage sounds really good.

Since a number of us are about to bid farewell to the farmer's markets, here is a link for really nice fingerling spuds

Earthly Delights

[maggiethecat]

Potato salad is bliss. Red new potatoes, Yukon gold, fingerlings, mayo, dijon, O&V, my friend Clive's garnish of devilled eggs and paprika. Warm, sweet and sour. bacony. Summer savoury. Lashings of parsley and watercress. Divine anchovies and capers.

In fact, this thread has so inspired me that I will head downstairs and make some for tomorrow.

My mother is a serious, travelled and seasoned gourmet. Her dressing? Half homemade mayo. Half Miracle Whip! We shudder and rag her about the MWhip, but Man! That potato salad is GOOD.

[Suvir Saran]

Potato salad is bliss.  Red new potatoes, Yukon gold, fingerlings, mayo, dijon, O&V, my friend Clive's garnish of devilled eggs and paprika.  Warm, sweet and sour. bacony.  Summer savoury.  Lashings of parsley and watercress.  Divine anchovies and capers.

In fact, this thread has so inspired me that I will head downstairs and make some for tomorrow.

My mother is a serious, travelled and seasoned gourmet.  Her dressing?  Half homemade mayo.  Half Miracle Whip!  We shudder and rag her about the MWhip, but Man!  That potato salad is GOOD.

I ate Potato Salad for dinner Sunday night and ate no less than 2 pounds of it for lunch yesterday (Monday) with some heirloom tomatoes and cornbread. Heaven!

[Marlene]

The recipe with sausage sounds really good.

In this case, Miracle Whip does work. I know I know. I don't normally use it either, but it fits in this salad. Here's the receipe. Try it once before completely condemning the Miracle Whip. Honest.

Reprinted from Ann Hodgman's "Beat That!" cookbook. I"ve adapted it slightly

8 med sized red potatoes, boiled in their jackets

3 oz garlic ring sausage (Keilbassa)

3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced, cooked until done, but not too crispy, and drained well.

1 medium tomato, deglopped and chopped

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 med dill pickle, drained and minced

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or minced scallion tops

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2/3 cup myaonnaise

1/3 cup miracle whip

In a large bowl, mix everything together except the mayonaise and miracle whip.

Add the mayonnaise and miracle whip. For moister salad, use more of these in equal parts.

Chill the salad for several hours or up to 3 days, but bring it back to room temperature before you serve it

If you can't find garlic sausage in the States, you can substitute salami and add a glove of minced garlic.

[Peter B Wolf]

Sure had this potato salad discussion somewhere before. I enjoy everyone’s recipes just by reading them. I am sure there has to be another German besides me out there in a vast eGullet world. He or she could either back me up or condemn me, as I stand corrected, as always! And I hear a lot talked about “German Style”, (see torakris’ post) and ‘mynamejoe says: (Torakris describes it, which is kartoffelsalat mit speck), but for all and only technicality reason, Germans do not use “bacon”, as bacon, as we Americans know it, does not exist in Germany. The word bacon is probably interchangeable with “Speck”, but the curing and smoking of Speck is different from bacon. Speck is neither “pancetta” as so often claimed. So, that’s number one, number two, “Balsamic” vinegar is not German either, one can, want or will use it, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it’s not “German”. The other thing about Dijon Mustard, that’s French, and we Heini’s have our “Duesseldorfer Loewensenf”. And the thing about German Style being “warm”, is only found in homes, Restaurants will always serve their Kartoffelsalat cold. Because the uniqueness about being warm is only, that is eaten when made (without cooling the potatoes, and a boiling marinade of vinegar, chicken stock and diced onion is poured over this). Restaurants do not serve (or seldom) fresh marinated Salad, they make it and refrigerate it, and will not reheat it.

Another reason that Germans (supposedly) eat warm Kartoffel Salat is that once it’s made, it has to be consumed, since mother needs the large bowl to wash all the other dishes in (there was no running water in the olden days and they had only one bowl).

[Aurora]

Because the uniqueness about being warm is only, that is eaten when made (without cooling the potatoes, and a boiling marinade of vinegar, chicken stock and diced onion is poured over this).

Chicken stock? Hey, that sounds good, too. I never thought of that. Hmmmm.

The next batch is devoted to the Kielbassa and the 1/3 cup of Miracle Whip. After that, a batch with the addition of chicken stock.

I love eGullet!

[Jinmyo]

you can do so much with potato salad.  it's a blank slate.  a near-perfect canvas.

Truer words were never spoken.

Coconut milk, a few mustard seeds toasted in ghee or clarified butter, a pinch of saffron, chopped coriander and slivered scallions. Toss in some chicken meat or leftover fish. Or not.

Creme fraiche and smoked salmon and fresh dill.

Dijon vinaigrette and grilled shrimp.

Masses of fresh oregano and olives and EVOO and chopped salumi.

Touch of shoyu and wasabi and grapeseed oil, scallions, ginger, and kimchee.

Taramasalata (brined roe in mayonnaise) with feta and watercress.

Apples and pears and bacon and walnuts.

Grilled chicken and wild mushrooms.

With turnips and sausage and sauerkraut.

Oh. My.

[Nick]

Jeez Jinmyo - Just as my next potato salad was coming together in my mind, you had to do that?

Guess I'll be headed to the store along with everyone else to get some Miracle Whip too. Stand by store managers, eGullet is on the move.

[maggiethecat]

With all the excellent variations (thanks guys...I'm on a potato salad jag and it's fun) I remembered one that I don't think we've mentioned: Salade Nicoise.

I know, Escoffier doesn't call for potatoes, but Julia asks for three cups.

[Suvir Saran]

With all the excellent variations (thanks guys...I'm on a potato salad jag and it's fun) I remembered one that I don't think we've mentioned: Salade Nicoise.

I know, Escoffier doesn't call for potatoes, but Julia asks for three cups.

I have never had it with potatoes...

How does it taste?

[maggiethecat]

For me, it tastes just like Salade Nicoise but better....simply because I love pototoes in salad.

[skabetti]

I don't like mayo so I too prefer vinagrette-based potato salads. My new favorite is from a recent issue of Bon Appetit. Here's the link:

http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=106929

It was pictured on the cover at the grocery store & I had to try it. It's really delicious & I liked the green beans as a new twist.

[Suvir Saran]

I don't like mayo so I too prefer vinagrette-based potato salads.  My new favorite is from a recent issue of Bon Appetit.  Here's the link:

http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=106929

It was pictured on the cover at the grocery store & I had to try it.  It's really delicious & I liked the green beans as a new twist.

Mitchell London makes a wonderful red potato and green bean salad. Tossed in vinegar and herbs and pine nuts. It is sensational. Has been at least 2 years since I last at it, but even 2 years later, the taste memory is intact.

[torakris]

Sure had this potato salad discussion somewhere before. I enjoy everyone’s recipes just by reading them. I am sure there has to be another German besides me out there in a vast eGullet world. He or she could either back me up or condemn me, as I stand corrected, as always! And I hear a lot talked about “German StyleE (see torakrisEpost) and ‘mynamejoe says: (Torakris describes it, which is kartoffelsalat mit speck), but for all and only technicality reason, Germans do not use “baconE as bacon, as we Americans know it, does not exist in Germany. The word bacon is probably interchangeable with “SpeckE but the curing and smoking of Speck is different from bacon. Speck is neither “pancettaEas so often claimed. So, that’s number one, number two,  “BalsamicEvinegar is not German either, one can, want or will use it, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it’s not “GermanE The other thing about Dijon Mustard, that’s French, and we Heini’s have our “Duesseldorfer LoewensenfE And the thing about German Style being “warmE is only found in homes, Restaurants will always serve their Kartoffelsalat cold. Because the uniqueness about being warm is only, that is eaten when made (without cooling the potatoes, and a boiling marinade of vinegar, chicken stock and diced onion is poured over this). Restaurants do not serve (or seldom) fresh marinated Salad, they make it and refrigerate it, and will not reheat it.

Another reason that Germans (supposedly) eat warm Kartoffel Salat is that once it’s made, it has to be consumed, since mother needs the large bowl to wash all the other dishes in (there was no running water in the olden days and they had only one bowl).

Sorry for misleading people with my version of German potato salad, I actually just stumbled across this recipe a year ago in The Best Recipe.

They call it a German style potato salad with bacon and basalmic vinegar.

Growing up in the US I always assumed the difference between German potato salad and American potato salad was that German was served warm. The German potato salad I grew up with never had bacon and was made with only onions, vinegar and stock, just as Peter described. I grew up with a lot of good German food taught to my mother by my paternal grandmother (who came to the US in the '30's from Germany) because my mother the daughter of Italian immigrants couldn't possible know how to cook "proper" German food! Needless to say the combination of the two cuisines always made the kitchen smell wonderful!

[Suvir Saran]

I grew up with a lot of good German food taught to my mother by my paternal grandmother (who came to the US in the '30's from Germany) because my mother the daughter of Italian immigrants couldn't possible know how to cook "proper" German food! Needless to say the combination of the two cuisines always made the kitchen smell wonderful!

Sounds good to me. I would love that kind of combination any day.

I am sure your grandmother must have taught your mom how to make some great desserts and cookies too... did she?

[bigbear]

I vote for warm German-style. My wife, the Queen, sometimes makes a mayo-based one that has chopped radishes in it. Good stuff.

[Dana]

While talking to a few co-workers, I discovered A LOT of them include potato salad as part of their holiday meals--Thanksgiving and Christmas especially. Is this just a southern thing? I had never heard of potato salad in the dead of winter till I moved to the south (where we don't have winter). Also, few serve mashed potatoes, serving rice dressing instead. That, I understand, as rice is the prefered starch, at least here in SE TX. I really don't get the potato salad thing.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

by Peter B Wolf.. The word bacon is probably interchangeable with “Speck”, but the curing and smoking of Speck is different from bacon. Speck is neither “pancetta” as so often claimed. So, that’s number one, number two,  “Balsamic” vinegar is not German either, one can, want or will use it, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it’s not “German”. The other thing about Dijon Mustard, that’s French, and we Heini’s have our “Duesseldorfer Loewensenf”. And the thing about German Style being “warm”, is only found in homes, Restaurants will always serve their Kartoffelsalat cold. Because the uniqueness about being warm is only, that is eaten when made (without cooling the potatoes, and a boiling marinade of vinegar, chicken stock and diced onion is poured over this).

Peter~

could you possibly provide some guidelines for this? Like do you cook the onions in butter first, how much vinegar (what vinegar is authentic?), how much chicken stock? And in what proportion of marinade to what amount potatos?

This sounds the closest to what Ive had in German delis and am trying to duplicate.

Would the Valkyries come and get me if I blaspheme and add some bacon and fat?

Thanks very much!~

Edited February 7, 2003 by nyfirepatrolchef (log)

[fresco]

The new crop of potatoes are in, and I'm hungry for salads made with them, including a fall version with mussels, mayo, apple, curry powder and coriander, and a Spanish version, from, as I recall, Penelope Casas's tapas cookbook, with orange and lemon juice, dill, onion and olive oil.

Any others since this thread was last active?