Yes, I finally have my own potato salad recipe. Most people probably didn't know I was even searching for my own potato salad, but I was. It has been a long, treacherous road of brainstorming, cookbook reading, and Central Market sampling - but I made it. And the result is one darn good potato salad, that is now going to become 'Gretchen's Potato Salad' - though I don't know to whom.
I totally get why there are so many potato salad recipes out there. I like them all - mustard based, mayo based, with egg, with peppers - it turns out everything tastes good with potatoes. But what I did discover during my days of study was that I think simpler is better. There is no reason to add a bunch of crap to potato salad, and there is no reason to over-mayo it. I also came to the conclusion that my favorite quality of potatoes is the ability to turn them into loaded baked potatoes. We loooove those. So, my potato salad variation tastes an awful lot like a loaded baked potato, with a little tang from the mustard, and a little sweetness from the mayo. YUM.
Recipe
- 3-4 lbs red potatoes
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 heaping teaspoon yellow mustard
- ~6-8 slices of bacon
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
- Chopped fresh chives
- Chopped fresh parsley
Start by halving or fourthing (is that a word? Quartering might be more appropriate. Or accurate, rather) the potatoes, and boil them in a large pot until fork tender. Drain them and set them aside.
Cook the bacon until crisp, transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel, and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings. I think I am going to tell people this is the secret ingredient.
Mix the mayo, sour cream, bacon drippings, and both mustards in a bowl. Mix into the potatoes, and add plenty of salt and pepper. Chop the bacon, chives, and parsley (to taste), and throw it into the potato mixture. Chill for several hours before serving.
good potato salad..EPH
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