Potato Salad Three Ways

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As a kid I would never touch potato salad or anything potato-y except French fries and potato chips.  When I lived in Houston as an undergrad at Rice University, there was a fabulous Jewish deli in “the village,” a cute shopping area not far from campus.  Alfred’s was a small town girl’s indoctrination into matzo balls, kreplach, and sardine platters to say nothing of the delicious meats like pastrami, especially, piled high on the rye bread for a stunning sandwich.  I discovered olives that didn’t come in a can.  The potato salad always came on the plate with a sandwich.  When you’re away from home, you’re more likely to try foods that you would never touch with a ten-foot pole at home under  your Mom’s gaze.  I tried the potato salad.  Tasted good!  Who knew?  Alfred’s had a roast chicken with the stuffing under the skin that was totally to die for. 

Once the cultural barrier was broken, I ate Chinese, Mexican, Indian and Middle Eastern.   French, too!  It was four years of culinary adventure as well as academic learning.   I don’t recall the details from many of the courses I took, but I sure remember the food.

Here are three potato salad recipes.  The first is from my mother-in-law, a German woman from Silesia, now Poland.  I know the ingredients sound a little weird, but the whole is way better than the sum of its parts.  It’s great with bratwurst and grilled German treats. 

Omi’s Silesian Kartoffel Salat:

3 lbs. potatoes

1/1 lb. mayo

¼ lb cold cuts, diced.  We always used bologna

2 dill pickles, diced

2 apples, diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 Tablespoons capers,

½ cup of vinegar or pickle juice

1/8 lb. cooked bacon with fat

salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together.  I prefer potato salad chilled.  Great for a party. 

Another German potato salad, this one from the late, lamented German restaurant in New York City, Luchow’s.

Note: no mayonnaise! 

Luchow’s Potato Salad

2 lbs. potatoes

½ c. beef stock or bouillion

½ cup onion, minced

 6 Tablespoons wine vinegar (red)

6 Tablespoons canola or peanut oil

1 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black peppr

1 egg yok. 

Wash and scrub potatoes; boil in jackets until tender.  Let cool until they can be handled.  Peel and slice thinly.  Pour stock over to be absorbed by the potatoes; add onion.  Mix remaining ingredients; beat smoothly together and pour over the potatoes.  Garnish with finely chopped parsely.  Serve warm or chilled.  Serves 4.

Potato and Pea Salad with Chive Aioli  (from July 2001, Gourmet)

8 servings

3 lbs. small red-skinned new potatoes,

unpeeled

3 T. white wine vinegar

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups frozen green peas, thawed

1 c. mayonnaise

6 T. chopped fresh chives

1 T. Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, pressed

¼ t. cayenne pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling,

salted water until just tender, about

25 minutes.  Drain.  Cool.  Cut potatoes

into quarters.  Transfer to large bowl;

add vinegar and toss to coat.  Mix in

celery and peas.

Whisk Mayonnaise, 5 T. chives, mustard,

Garlic and cayenne pepper in a small bowl

to blend.  Add to potato mixture and toss.

Season generously with salt and pepper.

Cover and chill at least one hour to allow

flavors to blend.  Sprinkle with remaining

1 T. chives and serve.

The garlic and cayenne give this an intriguing little kick

These recipes would be great to take to a potluck.  Most people like potato salad, excepting my pre-eighteen-year-old self.  Note the ingredients do not break the bank.  Cheap, if fact.  How can you lose?  Email me if you like them!  

The Cheeseparer  with OldBroad blogging today.