A tater by any other name is still a tater. However, all potato salads are not created equal. Being from the South I do love Southern Potato Salad with mayo, mustard, hard boiled egg and pickle relish . BUT if you really want to hear my heart to go pitter-patter give me a side of German Potato Salad. This tart, salty side can be served warm, room temperature or even cold making it an excellent dish for pot-luck dinners and picnics.
You can use any potatoes you have in the bin. Thin skinned, red potatoes work well unpeeled. Thick skinned, starchy Idaho potatoes will need their skins removed. Different potatoes have different cook times and starch contents. Each will change time and how much dressing the spuds soak up. That is a bit of important information, because the potatoes need to drink the dressing; with just a tad extra to “dress” the salad.
Play with it, make it your own. This time around I used thick skinned, starchy potatoes because those were the ones I had on hand.
6 Medium Potatoes
3 Slices Thick Cut, Lean Bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
(reserve 2 TBSP bacon grease)
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp Caraway Seeds
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Celery Seed
1 Heaping tsp Flour
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Stone Ground Mustard
1 tsp Maggi (Germany’s version of soy sauce…in a pinch soy would work)
1 TBSP Fresh Parsley, minced
Place the potatoes in a pot. Cover with cold, well salted water.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium. Cook for 25-30 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
Drain. Immerse potatoes in cold water until cool enough to handle.
Peel (if the potatoes you are using have tough skins).
Cut lengthwise into quarters and slice into 1/8 – 1/4 inch slices.
While potatoes are cooking prepare dressing.
Crush caraway seeds, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and celery seed with a mortar and pestle.
Saute onions in reserved bacon grease, until they begin to turn transparent. Stir in spices and flour.
Working quickly to keep from burning the flour and spices add water, vinegar, sugar and mustard. Allow to boil, gently for 2 minutes.
Stir in Maggi.
Remove from heat.
Toss potatoes with dressing, bacon crumbles and parsley.
FussBudget Farm 