A TWIST ON THE CLASSIC POTATO SALAD
Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad
6-8 servings, 40 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling)
Ingredients:
3 lbs Yukon gold
32 fl oz or 4 cups chicken stock
4 eggs
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
Salt
Optional: parsley
Dressing:
3/4 cup mayo, preferably Hellman’s
1/4 cup relish (or chopped pickles), preferably Heinz
1/2 lemon for juice
1 tbsp yellow mustard or Dijon or both
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
Salt
Pepper
The Blistered Peppers Take:
To be quite honest, I don’t LOVE potato salad but that’s because I only ever had bad versions of the dish at potlucks or bbqs. Here’s the thing: it’s more than likely your grandma’s or neighbor’s potato salad has some vinegar in it. For me, that’s where the flavor profile goes wrong. Something tastes rancid about potato salad with vinegar, NO OFFENSE! It just ain’t for me. So… you’ll notice this recipe is lacking 1. Vinegar and 2. Onions. If you are to add in some onions, I’d recommend using green onions and chopping them thinly.
Is potato salad the most basic American dish? Yes, of course. But is basic always bad? Nope. In fact, the nostalgia behind a dish alone can elevate it immensely. Mix that with great flavor and it goes from basic to unique in seconds. That’s the jist of my potato salad.
To me summertime means barbecues and barbecues means grilled or smoked meats and side salads. Cole slaw, Pasta salad, Macaroni salad, and Potato Salad! The great thing about potatoes is that they take on the flavors you mix with them and so they’re just a vehicle for all the zesty flavors you add to the dressing! After trying countless potato salads at bbq joints, taverns, and friends & family gatherings, I’ve figured out what I like and what I don’t. Now, I’m here to share that with you. My own take on a classic potato salad. Through so much experimenting I keep going back to this. It’s tried and true and delicious (even more so the longer you chill it together - which is why I always recommend making it the day before).
So what do I do differently to give this basic dish its personality? Yea, skip that vinegar BUT there’s more! Adding some dijon mustard or subbing it for the yellow mustard allows for a whole new flavor profile: a little spice, a little less vinegar-y, and way more creamy. Now, let’s talk about the relish! Do not sleep on relish. The vinegar from a pickled vegetable is key to so many different recipes, but when adding vinegar straight into the dressing it is too overpowering. Heinz relish or chopped pickles give this dressing the perfect amount of tang. Trust me, try adding a little pickle juice to your chili and I’m telling you it’s the thing everyone will be talking about. The brininess pulls all the flavors together. When you tie that in with your hot dog or hamburger, I’m telling you it’s like the perfect wine pairing (I’m kidding but you get the picture).
Hard boiled eggs tend to scare people. How long do you cook them? Do you add vinegar to the water for easier peeling? Do you use older eggs or fresh eggs? Etc. etc. I’ve always found that if you put the eggs in a cold pot, fill with enough cold water to just cover the eggs, and make sure to end in an ice bath, you’ll have a great egg. Yes it’s a little time consuming to peel the egg no matter what, but it’s worth the time and effort. Double the amount of eggs the recipe calls for and you’ve got yourself an easy snack for the next several days (PSA: don’t let hard boiled eggs sit for more than 5 days in your fridge).
Take the time at your next BBQ to give this potato salad a try. Let me know what you think of the relish! Tag me on social. Enjoy!
Steps:
Hard boil the eggs: in a small pot, add 4 eggs and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and then immediately turn off the heat and let the eggs ‘cook’ for about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the hot water and place in an ice bath to cool.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes: first, quarter the baby potatoes by cutting once lengthwise and once widthwise. In a large saucepan or pot, cover the potatoes in chicken stock and a heavy sprinkle of salt - if the potatoes aren’t covered by the stock, add in cold water until covered. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and allow the potatoes to cook for about 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when tender enough that a fork pokes them easily. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
While the potatoes cook, chop the celery into about ¼ inch pieces - I like to halve each celery stalk before chopping so the pieces are slightly more narrow. Peel the hardboiled eggs under running water (this helps to remove the shell), then slice and dice well!
Make the ‘dressing’: in a large bowl, combine the mayo, relish, lemon juice, mustard(s), onion powder, paprika, celery, hard boiled eggs, and a heavy sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Mix well! Finally, add the potatoes and mix until coated but be careful not to break the potatoes too much.
Place the potato salad in the fridge for about 1 hour so the potatoes really soak up the dressing and are chilled and flavorful!
Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
