Potato salad comes in many styles
All my friends know I take great pride in my potato salad. I go to great pains to pick the right size red potatoes, not too big and not too small. Once the potatoes are cooked in salted boiling water, they are cooled slightly, then peeled and cut into big chunks.
Illustration by Kenneth Harrison/The Times-Picayune
My mayonnaise is homemade from my mother’s recipe that has a good squeeze of lemon juice in the mix. The hard-boiled eggs are coarsely grated, not chopped, and I rarely add what my husband calls “goggies” (onions, celery, sweet pickle relish). I also do not chill my potato salad before it’s served.
One of my neighbors claims that my potato salad is the only one to serve with her seafood gumbo, and I’m quite complimented. I serve it with chicken and andouille gumbo as well as wild duck and oyster gumbo — on the side, not in the gumbo. But, hey, to each his own.
With that said, I am open to other styles of potato salads, but I will say I do not like mashed potato salad. I like the potato salad made by the late Eula Mae Dore, who cooked for the McIlhenny’s at Avery Island for years. She showed me how to make a delicious vinegary mayonnaise that complemented her perfectly diced potatoes, chopped crispy bell peppers and sweet pickles.
I also am fond of a potato salad made by a friend who told me her secret was sprinkling in some of that powdered mix used to make ranch dressing. With assorted grilled sausages, I go for a German potato salad in which the onions have a little crunch, inspired by a James Beard recipe. Another warm potato salad I enjoy from time to time is saucisson chaud à la Lyonnaise, a popular dish in Lyon, France.
My husband, Rock, sometimes gets creative. He surprised me recently with a very flavorful version that had sliced shallots and radishes tossed with sour cream and fresh tarragon, which he served with thick, grilled pork chops that had been brined for several hours. Delish!
Warm weather has arrived, an ideal time to rustle up a potato salad for casual dinner parties.
My Potato Salad
Makes 10 to 12 servings
3 to 4 pounds medium-size red potatoes, scrubbed
8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely grated (on a box grater)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Remove from the heat, drain and cool. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks.
Alternately layer the potatoes and eggs in a large bowl, seasoning with salt, black pepper and salt on each layer. Add the mayonnaise (follows) and toss gently (so as not to break up the potatoes) to mix.
Quick Mayonnaise
Makes about 1-1/4 cups
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
Hot sauce to taste
Blend the egg and the lemon juice in a food processor or blender for 15 seconds. With the processor or blender running, slowly pour oil through the feed tube. The mixture will thicken. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce and pulse to blend. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.
Note: Since the mayonnaise is made with a raw egg, it’s best to use within 24 hours.
Eula Mae’s Potato salad
Makes about 16 servings
5 pounds medium-size red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon salt
1 dozen eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 cups Eula Mae’s mayonnaise (recipe follows)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup minced sweet pickles
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
Fill a large, deep pot two-thirds full with cold water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and potatoes. Cover over medium heat for 7 minutes, then add the eggs. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove the eggs and drain the potatoes. Peel the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Mash the yolks in a large bowl and stir in the oil and vinegar. Add the mayonnaise, cayenne and Tabasco.
Dice the potatoes and add to the mayonnaise mixture along with the pickles, celery and bell pepper. Chop the egg whites and add to the salad. Stir to mix. Refrigerate 15 minutes before serving.
Eula Mae’s Homemade Mayonnaise
Makes about 2 cups
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1-3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
To make mayonnaise by hand, combine egg yolks, dry mustard, salt, Tabasco and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk to blend well. Add the oil, about 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking in between each addition, until thick and smooth.
To make it in a blender or food processor, process the egg yolks for about 30 seconds. Add the dry mustard, salt, Tabasco, and vinegar. Pulse several times to blend. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture thickens.
German Potato Salad à la James Beard
Makes 6 to 8 servings
6 to 8 medium waxy potatoes
Salt
12 thick slices bacon
1 cup thinly sliced yellow or white onions
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium, and gently boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set the skillet with the fat aside. Crumble the bacon into large pieces.
Drain the potatoes and peel while still warm. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Put the potatoes into a large warm serving bowl and add the bacon and onions. Return the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Pour the hot dressing over the potato mixture and toss well. Garnish with the parsley and serve warm.
Saucisson Chaud à la Lyonnaise
Makes 6 servings
1 pound fresh pork sausage
3 pounds boiling potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Boiling salted water
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced green onions (green and white parts)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Prick the sausage randomly with the tip of a sharp knife in 5 or 6 places to prevent the skin from bursting and to release the fat as it cooks. Lay the sausage in a large skillet and add enough tap water to cover it completely. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Transfer the sausage to paper towels to drain and cool. Split open the skin and peel it off.
While the sausage is cooking, cook the potato slices in boiling salted water in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and then transfer the potatoes to a large salad bowl.
Heat the chicken stock and pour it over the warm potatoes, tossing gently once or twice. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, salt and dry mustard together. Pour over the potatoes and toss gently again to coat evenly. Let stand for 5 minutes more, then pour in the olive oil, add the green onions and parsley and toss gently again.
Serve with the sausage.
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