When I made pulled pork the other day, I thought it would be fun to make a potato salad to go along with it. Problem is, I rarely make or even eat potato salad. It’s not something that I usually get at restaurants except for when I do my yearly KFC trek and it’s just not something I make.
Without a potato salad recipe in my arsenal I had to do some digging. I went through a few sources like Edna Lewis, Paula Deen and others but was intrigued by this Martha Stewart recipe. I loved that it included eggs. I was intrigued by the inclusion of cornichons. It overall just sounded pretty delightful.
If you don’t like chopping this isn’t the recipe for you. There is so much chopping involved. Potatoes, eggs, cornichons, onions, scallions, red peppers, parsley and celery! Definitely get out the sharpening steel for your knife prior to starting this one. One neat thing about this recipe is that Martha instructs to boil the potatoes whole to preserve the potato flavour. You then peel the boiled potato and then chop it. Kind of neat.
All of the chopping was well worth it. This potato salad was AMAZING. There was a lot of contrast in texture from the soft eggs and tender potatoes to the crisp celery and cornichons. The flavours were really layered from the vegetables and the spices. I liked that this was a creamy potato salad but not overly creamy. It was truly divine. I think this salad could benefit from the inclusion of bacon. Do note that this recipe makes A LOT of salad. I halved the recipe and still ate potato salad for four days.
Martha’s All-American Potato Salad
* 4 pounds russet potatoes (about 8)
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 2 tablespoons hot water, plus more if needed
* 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
* 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
* 1 medium onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
* 10 cornichons, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/4 cup)
* 3 scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
* 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 teaspoon paprika
1. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, add 1 tablespoon salt, and reduce to a gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes. Drain into a colander. Using paper towels or gloves to protect your hands, peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch dice while still hot. Drizzle with vinegar; set aside.
2. Place eggs in a small pan with enough water to cover by 1 inch, and place over medium-high heat. When water comes to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 13 minutes. Drain, and place in a bowl with cold water to cover. When cold, peel eggs. Chop 2 into 1/4-inch dice. Slice the third egg into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and set aside for garnish.
3. Combine chopped eggs, mayonnaise, celery seed, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl; whisk to combine. Thin mixture with hot water, if desired. Stir in reserved potatoes, celery, red pepper, onion, cornichons, scallions, and chopped parsley. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with paprika and reserved hard-boiled egg rounds.
(Via Martha Stewart)
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