Day: July 7, 2007

OK. I realize this is a bit off topic, but I love to share my recipes. A brief explanation beforehand: I have always hated potato salad. I don’t like celery (unless it’s dipped in that lovely sour cream and onion dip) or raw onions or raw peppers or pickles (unless, they are sweet pickles). So, when my friend asked me to make a potato salad for our upcoming get-together, I explained to her why I was never going to make it. She was shocked and appalled that I would even Think of adding such horrid things like celery and raw onions. Nope, a potato salad only needs potatoes and dressing (she said). “Are you sure?” asked I. It seemed awfully boring. I asked about adding bacon for goodness knows bacon makes everything taste better. She said “No – just potatoes and dressing”.

Certain it would be too boring of a potato salad. I came up with this compromise.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
Lard (there has to be some sort of bacon in it, right?)
2 lbs red potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp potato water
1/4 tsp salt
Few dashes of hot sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp dry parsley
4 hard boiled eggs, cooled and diced

Note: If you agree with my friend about no bacon, then substitute mild olive oil for the lard.

Heat the lard in a saute pan. When hot, cook the onion till tender and golden. Set aside to cool. Heat more lard. When hot, cook the green pepper till tender. Set aside to cool. Bring the potatoes and 1 tbsp salt to boil. Then, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or till potatoes are just tender. Drain potatoes, keeping 2 tbsp of the water they were cooked in. Mix the potato water, vinegar, hot sauce and 1/4 tsp salt. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and cube them. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to the fridge to cool them completely.

Onto the dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, Old Bay, parsley, cooked onion, and cooked pepper together. Add in the cooled potatoes and diced eggs. Gently toss all ingredients with a spatula.

Let salad cool for 24 hours in the fridge before serving.