[Houston] Nielsen's deli

[hazardnc]

Yes - Nielsen's on Richmond. I used to get their roast beef sandwich with muenster. And, I have to admit, I would occassionally get the liverwurst on pumpernickle with brown mustard. Yum!

Nielsen's slaw is also quite decent and worth trying.

I thought the owners were Danish - I have been looking for Danish potato salad recipes. Now I will try Belgian!

This stuff is honestly so different from your usual mayo, mustard, pickle relish variety, it is worth trying. No discernable taste of onion. Noticeable tiny bits of egg, hint of celery. Definitely sour cream influence. I have thought of buying it and having it analyzed!

[fifi]

I have split this topic off from the Antone's thread because a little digression was getting really interesting.

hazardnc started all of this earlier with this quote:

Now - will someone PLEASE get the recipe for Nielsen's Deli potatos salad? If you haven't tried it, you must. It is different from any you have ever had. There are no pickles, there is no mustard --- it is out of this world!

Bwana64 added more intriguing information:

The mayo in Nielsen's potato salad, and egg salad is the secret. Mrs. Nielsen was from Belgium and makes her mayo from scratch. Check it out.

FoodMan is going to explore and report.

(Maybe it was the Beligian mayonaise that was getting to me. )

[Bwana64]

Well, now that you mention it maybe Mrs. Nielsen is Danish. I don't know, Belgian or Danish, but its the mayo that makes her food so great.

[FoodMan]

My plan is to head over there tomorrow, have lunch (including Potato salad), and take soem of the salad home for thorough analysis. I will try and get something from the proprietors about the "secret" recipe if I can. Hopefully I'll be able to make it there.

Elie

[hazardnc]

Ellie, I anxiously await your review! I will be very embarassed if you do not find the salad as good as I do!

[FoodMan]

Unfortunatly, I could not make it on Friday because my lovly wife did not want to have lunch at a deli, she wanted Good Co. Seafood instead. Sorry.

So, I am planning on heading there today or tomorrow.

Elie

[FoodMan]

I just came back from Nielsen’s about 15 minutes ago. I had a roast beef sandwich on pumpernickel and bought a ½ pint of potato salad, of which I ate half during lunch and I still have the rest for “further study” . The place is very small with very few bar stools to sit on, and it was pretty busy for lunch so I had to stand in line for a while.

The person I ordered from would only say that the salad is simply a mayo potato salad, NO mustard, that’s all. When I got to the counter the man behind the register seemed like he could be the owner and I think he is. I asked him if they ever published the recipe in Gourmet, since they had the letter in which it was requested hanging on the wall. He said “no, we told them that a long time ago. They can have it when I’m gone!” He did confirm that they still make their own mayo.

Now I am not a big connoisseur of potato salad, matter of fact I always took it for granted as just another filler. This one is different, it is excellent. To say it is rich is an understatement, this thing is more like a potato parfait with mayo instead of whipped cream. However, it is by no means cloying or heavy, it felt more fluffy and light. I could not detect any hint of sourness at all, no onions, no pickles. Actually I think this salad has four ingredients only:

- Mayonnaise

- boiled white (possibly russet) potatoes

- chopped hard-cooked eggs

- very little finely chopped celery

So, the secret has to be the mayo, it is homemade, but not pungent or tangy. It also has that “fluffy/light” texture. Maybe it was whipped??? I really cannot tell. I still have half of the salad in the fridge and I will try it again later, if anything new surfaces I will report. Oh, and to get this straight, the owners are from Denmark. So, maybe we can look for a Danish mayo recipe.

Well, hopefully this helps.

Elie

[FoodMan]

I found this recipe for Danish Mayo, check it out here.

It does not seem different than any other mayo recipe, however the pictures seem to use a hand held mixer. Maybe the finished product is whipped with more air in it, hence the creamy fluffy texture. Thoughts?

Elie

[fifi]

Thanks so much for the research. I think that recipe explains the mayo I have had to dip my fries in at the most popular street stands in the Netherlands. It is lighter in texture and not very tart. I am thinking that if you are using a blender, food processor or mixer, that whole egg will give it a bit of fluff as well. I really want to try this one.

Sounds like you finely found a potato salad to love.

[hazardnc]

Firstly, I have to say I am relieved to find that you really liked the potato salad. Secondly, the letter on the wall was prompted by my letter to Gourmet years and years ago. My mom told the shop owner I had requested the recipe, and Mrs. Nielsen's reply was "without that secret, I might as well close shop."

I too have always suspected the very small amount of finely minced celery. Some people suggest there might be a bit of sour cream in the mix. Though I know there are egg whites, egg yolks are not visibly discernable. They probably get mashed.

As for the mayo, I think it is essential that one use canola or any other vegetable oil and not olive oil, as the flavor of the oil is too strong for the delicate may flavor you want.

Thanks for your research and for spreading the word about Nielsen's!

[FoodMan]

Firstly, I have to say I am relieved to find that you really liked the potato salad. Secondly, the letter on the wall was prompted by my letter to Gourmet years and years ago. My mom told the shop owner I had requested the recipe, and Mrs. Nielsen's reply was "without that secret, I might as well close shop."

I too have always suspected the very small amount of finely minced celery. Some people suggest there might be a bit of sour cream in the mix. Though I know there are egg whites, egg yolks are not visibly discernable. They probably get mashed.

As for the mayo, I think it is essential that one use canola or any other vegetable oil and not olive oil, as the flavor of the oil is too strong for the delicate may flavor you want.

Thanks for your research and for spreading the word about Nielsen's!

Hard cooked egg yolks are definitly in there, I got several chunks of them. So, they do chop up some whole hard cooked eggs in the salad.

You are correct about the oil used for the mayo, certainly not olive oil. Canola or Vegetable would be my guess. I also did not detect any sour cream, but I could be wrong.

I know I said there were no onions in it before, however when I ate the rest of it I could not help but taste a mild oniony flavor!! but still I could not find them. Maybe the onion is grated?

Elie

[Toliver]

I know I said there were no onions in it before, however when I ate the rest of it I could not help but taste a mild oniony flavor!! but still I could not find them. Maybe the onion is grated?

If actual onion bits are undetectable in the mixture perhaps they use either onion powder or even onion juice.

[hazardnc]

If actual onion bits are undetectable in the mixture perhaps they use either onion powder or even onion juice

I think onion juice is a good guess. My mom always thought they might include that.

I used to think the recipe included celery juice a well, but there are very small specks of celery green in the salad.

Heavens - it has been YEARS since I have tasted Nielsen's. I am visiting my family in Corpus Christi soon and I might have to fly to Houston and drive just so I can hit Nielsen's on the way.

By the way, this potato salad goes so well with bbq brisket!

[FoodMan]

Onion powder?? I don't think so, OP has a distinctive pungent taste which this salad did not have.

Onion juice??It exists?? My guess would be onion juice.

Hazardnc- when will u be at Nielsen's? maybe we can have lunch over there.

Elie

[hazardnc]

It will be in October I think if we decide to fly to Houston and drive.

[FoodMan]

I was craving this salad a while back and since I live about 40 miles away from Nielsen’s I decided to give it a try and see what I come up with.

I made my mayonnaise with one egg, red wine vinegar and Vegetable oil. I made sure to blend it well to get it nice an fluffy. I have to say the mayo was excellent.

For the potatoes, I just cubed them and to get a subtle oniony taste in them that I noticed in the Nielsen’s version, I boiled them till they were done along with a quartered raw onion. I figured the potatoes will absorb some of the oniony taste without adding onions to the salad since the one at Nielsen’s doesn’t seem to have it.

I also added very finely chopped celery and hard cooked eggs and mixed the whole thing up.

The result: Very Good. The same as Nielsen’s: NO

Analysis: The salad did have a subtle oniony taste, but it was too subtle. In my next try I want to grate the onion (maybe half an onion) into the salad and see how it will work out. I also used Yukon Gold potatoes and I am pretty sure that is wrong. They seem to use a white potato, probably a russet. I did like the mayo I made in the salad, it was nice and creamy.

Here is a pic of the salad :

[Lone Star]

Neilsen's Potato salad! I haven't had it in several years, but oh my!

When I worked for a firm in the Galleria area, whenever we would have to have a working lunch, Neilsen's was called. They would send platters of an array of sanwiches which were all delicious, but the best part was the potato salad. It would arrive in medium sized paper souffle cups. A lot of arguing and bickering went on over any that was left for a 3:00 snack.

I heard a rumor that it was going to close soon. Anyone hear that? I am going to have to get over there soon. I miss those lunches.

I think using the Yukon Gold potatoes might have been the ingredient that made your salad unlike Neilsens. Looks delicious though. Neilsons used lots of eggs in their salad. Their potato salad is so unlike any Texas style or Southern style salad I have ever tasted.

[hazardnc]

Elie, there is a recipe in Sheila Lukin's cookbook U.S.A. Cookbook for a potato salad that is as close to Neilsen's I have ever come. It's nothing more than potatos, boiled eggs and chopped celery, mayo and sour cream. I don't remember onions in the mix. It has been more than 10 years since I have had Neilsen's, though.

One of the ingredients in the potato salad is celery - but a very subtle flavor at that. The last time I made the recipe, I chopped the celery very fine before adding it to the salad. I also mashed the boiled egg yolks and chopped the whites. I blended the mayo with sour cream until it tasted as close to Neilsen's as I could get.

Also, since the Neilsen's are Dutch, I would suggest a white potato, but a waxy white. I thnk Finnish white potatos if you can get them.

I use Hellman's mayo, but I know Neilsen's makes their own.

Edited February 22, 2005 by hazardnc (log)