The Starving Musician Recipes
Randi's Mom's Country-Style Potato Salad
Serves
6
Each year at Easter Mom makes this
Southern style potato salad. Its texture is the result of creative problem
solving: Dad liked his potato salad smooth, I liked it chunky. When Mom
discovered the potato masher was a timesaver, that was the end of the
argument. Pay close attention to Mom's method and order of ingredients:
Aside from it being "Mom's", I could never figure out why this potato salad
tasted so much better when she made it...until I took careful notes while
watching her one day. By adding the ingredients one at a time over the warm
potatoes as she chops each item by hand, the flavor of each ingredient has
time to get into the potatoes while she chops the next item. In the words of
Emeril Lagasse, "It's a food of love thing."
-
3 medium Idaho or other baking potatoes,
scrubbed, peeled, cut into 2" chunks (waxy or red-skinned potatoes don't
absorb the flavors as well and produce a result that isn't as good)
-
Water for boiling the potatoes
-
1 rib celery, scrubbed (or 1/8 teaspoon
whole celery seed, if you don't have celery)
-
1 small onion, scrubbed and peeled
-
3 T Heinz sweet pickle relish (juice and
all--stir before using, and don't drain it)
-
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled
-
1/3 cup Kraft Miracle Whip or real
mayonnaise (Mom used Miracle Whip, which is lower in fat)
-
2 teaspoons French's yellow prepared
mustard (aka hot dog mustard), optional
-
salt and pepper
In large saucepan starting with cold water,
boil potatoes til fork-tender (about 20 minutes after they come to a boil).
Drain thoroughly and immediately place potatoes in large mixing bowl. Finely
chop the onion and sprinkle it over the potatoes. Chop the celery very
finely, add to the bowl containing the potatoes and onions. Top with the
pickle relish. Chop eggs so the whites are a little smaller than 1/4" dice
and the yolks are finely-diced. Add to potato mixture and mash with potato
masher until potatoes start to break up. Add Miracle whip or mayo and
mustard (and celery seed if you're using it instead of celery) and a dash of
salt and few grinds of pepper. Mix thoroughly using potato masher, mashing
occasionally until the majority of the potatoes are mashed but some lumps
remain. (If you like smooth and creamy potato salad, keep mashing.) Cover
and refrigerate immediately, and chill until thoroughly cold. Taste for
seasonings and add a little more Miracle Whip or pickle relish and pickle
juice if necessary. If the vinegar taste is too sharp, add a little real
mayonnaise.
Tips and tricks: When Mom doesn't have hard-boiled eggs in the
fridge, she saves time by boiling the carefully-washed eggs along with the
potatoes. Start them in cold water along with the potatoes so the heat
doesn't break the shells.
Creative Options: 1. Sometimes Mom adds the French's yellow mustard,
but usually not. My sister and I usually do. 2. Mom would never do this, so
I almost hesitate to suggest it...But for a little kick, add 1 finely
chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed. (Two if they're mild and you
want an extra kick.)
Recipes ©2004 Randi Reed
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