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Summer Staples: Potato Salad

One of the most iconic Summer Staples in my part of the world has always been Potato Salad. But ask cooks what Potato Salad should be, and you’ll get a wide range of opinions. I’m going to share my favourite recipe, and look at some of the more common variations I’ve encountered over the years…

lad - © mirlandraskitchen.comChunky Potato Salad with Chives and Bacon…

My Mom always made her Potato Salad ‘mushy’, that is, with Mashed Potatoes. I guess that’s a Scottish thing, or something they taught in Home Economics in the Winnipeg High Schools in the 1930s… But prefer chunky style, which seems to garner the most fans these days. Hang on for a bumpy ride as we explore the various additions and toppings that various cooks consider ‘classic.

The spuds…

I wash my Potatoes thoroughly before cutting using a vegetable brush and leave the peels on. There’s a lot of flavour, texture and nourishment, there.

I prefer to use so-called Baby Red Potatoes for maximum visual effect, cutting them at least once across the middle to make a nice bite-sized chunk. Larger specimens of that breed are cut into quarters so that all pieces of Potato are cooked evenly. But you can just as easily use any size of waxy or general-purpose Potato cut into uniform bite-sized pieces.

Hint: Always salt your Potato-boiling water or your spuds will turn out bland.

Hint: Cutting the Potatoes before cooking cuts down on cooking time considerably. Your spuds are done when a fork can easily pass right through to the centre of a piece, without the chunk of Potato falling apart. You want a resilient Potato to stand up to the mixing and other handling operations that come later in  prep and service.

Hint: One tip from the Chef’s Bible that all cooks should follow: Always start your potatoes off in cold water and let them come up to a the boil with the water. This way, they’ll never turn black or turn out over- or under-cooked.

Hint: When the Potatoes are cooked, drain them gently in a colander and let them cool to room temperature. Some cooks insist they cool to fridge temperature, so that your Dressing doesn’t melt or separate on contact. I find that room temp is just fine.

The additions…

I always add finely diced Celery to my Potato Salad, along with a generous handful of Bacon Bits and some chopped Green (Spring) Onions. Of all the additions cooks use in Potato Salad, the Eggs are the most universal.

Hint: You’ve probably noticed that I’m not giving you specific measurements or amounts of ingredients in this recipe. That’s because you’ll want to vary the ingredients and proportions according to your taste and your family’s and friends’ expectations.

The Dressing…

I use a simple dressing based on Mayonnaise, with a squeeze of Lemon Juice, some chopped Chives and some Thyme added. I also insist on adding just enough Dijon or Dried Mustard to give the Dressing a nice light tang. I mix the Dressing until the Mustard  and Lemon Juice are fully blended into the Mayo and the the Chives and Thyme and Chives are evenly distributed.

Minced / pressed Garlic is optional as is a pinch of plain White Sugar to take the edge off the acid and Mustard components. Some folks also add a good pinch of White Pepper, but I think the Mustard and Lemon are more than sufficient to flavour the Dressing and keep the overall taste experience light and summery.

The Garnish…

One thing all cooks seem to agree on, when it comes to Potato Salad is, you’ve for to top it with chopped Chives and a good sprinkling of paprika. The colour and flavour are perfect complements to the Dressing and add a lot of visual appeal.

Final assembly…

Add the Additions and Dressing to the Potatoes in a big steel or glass mixing bowl and gently fold them together. Don’t be too brutal or you’ll break up the Potatoes and end up with Mom’s version – mashed Potato Salad!

Garnish with the Chives and Paprika just before serving for a nice, fresh presentation.

And there you have it!

Make this recipe once, and you’ll have it from memory forever! Next, I’ll delve into the mysteries of Cole Slaw…

~ Maggie J.