Tag: bbq

With Labor Day right around the corner, this potato salad it the best addition to any holiday weekend BBQ or gathering!

For as long as I can remember, it was always served at family get togethers. I knew no different. As a child, to be honest, it was not my favorite. But as I grew into an adult, I learned the deliciousness of my Mom’s potato salad.

I am going to let you in on a little secret. I hate celery. I do not like the taste, I do not like the texture, I do not like it raw, I do not like it cooked, I do not like it Sam I am. Pretty much all store bought potato salads have celery in them, so that is a definite no for me.

That means homemade is always the way I go when wanting to add it to a menu. I also think that when you can, it is always a special touch to bring something homemade to a potluck or party.

This has always been a crowd pleaser and I get many requests for this recipe. I made a few adaptions from my Mom’s potato salad to make it my own and hope you will find it just as delicious.

Ingredients

• 4 Medium Potatoes
• 5 Large Eggs
• 3/4 Cup White Onion-Chopped
• 1/3 Cup Dill Pickles-Chopped
• 1 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
• 3/4 t Salt
• 1/4 t (heaping) Black Pepper

Potatoes and Eggs

The first step is to cook the potatoes and eggs ahead of time. They will need to cool completely, so I like to do this the day before and they have plenty of time to cook in the refrigerator.

For the potatoes, I start with putting them in a pot covered with water. I bring the pot to a boil and try to keep it somewhere between a full boil and simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I pull a potato out using some kitchen tongs and pierce it with a skewer. If the skewers has any resistance in the middle, I cook them a little longer. If they split, they are done cooking and should be pulled out.

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When all the potatoes are done cooking, I pull them out of the water. I like to put mine into a colander because I think that it allows air to circulate around them and cool faster.

The eggs are cooked in a similar manner as the potatoes. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cool water. I like to cook hard boiled eggs using a modified version of what Julia Child did. That is, I bring the water to a boil, and cover the eggs. I like to turn the heat to low and leave them for 13 minutes. After the 13 minutes, I used a slotted spoon to put them into a bowl of ice water to cool. Once they have cooled for a while, I crack them a little in the water. This makes them easier to peel.

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Pro tip: Don’t try to make hard boiled eggs with fresh eggs. They will not peel well. It is best to use eggs that are at least a week old, which is most store bought eggs.

Once you have cooked and cooled potatoes and eggs, the potato salad is ready to be assembled.

Assembly

Peel and chop the potatoes. add them to a large bowl.

Use an egg slicer to slice the eggs, then turn the eggs 90 degrees and slice them again. Add them to the bowl with the potatoes.

Add the chopped onion and pickles to the bowl. Before I chop the pickles, I do place them between paper towels and try to remove as much liquid as I can so the potato salad is not watery.

Once all those ingredients are in the bowl, give them a light stir. You will stir more after the next step, so it does not need to be perfect.

I add the mayonnaise in a very particular way. This is how my mom did it, so this is how I do it. I believe that it distributes the mayonnaise evenly.

I try to make the ingredients level in the bowl. Using a spatula, I add the mayonnaise a little at a time and spread the mayonnaise completely even over the top of the other ingredients, kind of like you are frosting a cake.

Then use a spoon and fold the mayonnaise into the other ingredients. Once it is about half way mixed in, I add the salt and pepper and continue to stir until the mayonnaise is evenly distributed.

I then taste a little and add a little more salt or pepper if I feel it is needed.

I try not to make the potato salad right before eating it. Personally, I think it tastes better when it can sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and have the flavors marinate a little.

I hope you will give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!