Potatoe salad?

[Kathy's Smokin']

Robbq, do you mix the mayo, cider vinegar, mustard etc. together before you put it on the potatoes or dump everything together and stir? I'm trying to figure out if it's nice if vinegar seeps into some potatoes more than others giving some bites extra 'sparkle'.

 

[Pyle's BBQ]

I use a fork until the bowl is almost empty, then I switch to a spoon.

 

[1buckie]

Now I'm wondering how it would be with Blue Cheese dressing……..

The Jalepeno Ranch is basically the pivot point for the whole thing the way it is now..........I'll use a little mayo to start in mixing then A BUNCH of the ranch
I don't like bleu cheese as much, but if you're a big fan, that could be a great substitute........maybe leave anything mayo related out of the picture & use a little oil pre-mixed w/ bleu & spices of choice ?

I will be making a nice 5 pound batch for our Memorial Day cookout. I think the potatoes make a huge difference. I like yukon gold or white potatoes. Definitely not russet, those are for baking and mashing. I use eggs, mayo (but not too much), mustard, cider vinegar, celery, green pepper, red onion, dill (preferably fresh), salt, pepper. Very good stuff.

I think the potatoes make a huge difference, also....thanks for that.....I've made other types tater salad & this one above a lot & always gravitate to Yukon, sometimes reds & lately finding specialty new potatoes......

The Deep Fry stuff started out using dry mustard, then some types of wet mustard, then stopped at J. Ranch.....

Thanks for your ideas, Rob & Kathy !!


Oh.....and eat it w/ a fork, maybe a spoon at the end.......

 

[BobBrisket]

Bob you seem to be passionate about tater salad, do you have a recipe suggestion for for someone who is inexperienced in the dark arts of tater salad making

Farkers.....I've been thinking bout this post for a couple days! Yes, for some odd farking reason, tater salad is a very close, OCD, picky kinda thing with me. More on this and not so much a recipe, but the components I use and what I like in what I consider a TOE CURLING tater salad.

Bet your mama or granny taught you that. Mine did.
:mrgreen:

Actually, no. They always used the normal russet. Which is a good tater, but there is something to be said about a red or a gold or better yet, fingerlings, for texture, taste, and just an overall tater FEEL! I think i have some STRONG IRISH blood flowing through me. Or maybe I was a native IdaHOwan in another life, but I freaking love TATERS! Get to this again laters.

The "Dark Arts Dept."...................

Stubby, the antique deep fryer, appears in "Deep Fried Potato Salad"

the basics for 12#'s of deep Fried Potato salad ~~>

EDIT: DEEP FRY THE BACON

I've tried all differebt kinds of taters, reds are fine, I like Yukon or other golds, new potatoes are good, I go 3/4"x 3/4".....short soak to de-whatever them, short dry & fry..........

.......chopped a big load of celery, onion & some bread & butter pickle...

A little mayo, some fresh dill

& a load of this:

That there's loaded on a giant tort w/ PP leftovers......

Heavy onion, heavy celery, I use bacon ends diced up kinda small 5# tater / 3# ends......you can add whatever else you'd dang well please.....
I'm apolitical & don't argue with folks preferences..........
I tried diced up artichoke hearts a few times, un-marinated are best with this...............

If I had one thing to eat for the rest of my life, this would be it....I'm having some RIGHT NOW !!!!!

Ah, I would give that a whirl. I was thinking it was more like a cold salad that had been maybe rolled up in a ball, lightly breaded and then deep fried. I'm picky with what we call a hot vs. cold salad. Even chilled, a fried tater takes on a different taste. Your post has got me thinking about a whole new variation I want to try. That one later too!:shocked:

Two pages in and nobody has admitted to adding cheese???
Cubed or shreaded cheddar.
Ed

I'm a cheese head too, but for me, cheese is so damn good on its own, that it would detract from the pure salad taste. I'm gonna piss some of you Farkers off on this one, but as much as I LOVE bacon, I prefer a baconless salad because to make a pure tater salad without such strong items on their own like bacon and cheese, is an art. As much as I LOVE chile peppers, I do NOT like fresh or pickled jalapenos in a good salad. Now, I'd never turn down a big pile of salad on a plate, but yes, I am very picky about this one thing in a VERY OCD kinda way. Hey, Your farkers asked!:wacko:

If it's any good, I first eat it with a fork, then clean up with a spoon.

Very good point. More detail in my Tater Salad Dissertation.

 

[1buckie]

Tater Salad Dissertation !!!!!


:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

"but there is something to be said about a red or a gold or better yet, fingerlings, for texture, taste, and just an overall tater FEEL!"

The last ones I used for a Weber Kettle Club regional gathering were Melissa's "Dutch Yellow" Pee Wee taters....Idaho grown.....absolutely rocked.....very good taste............

http://www.melissas.com/Peewee-Dutch-Yellow-Potatoes-p/237.htm

 

[cameraman]

I've reverse engineered a pretty good version of the deli potato salad of my misspent youth. I start with a real fine dice on celery and sweet onion. Like the cucumber bits in pickle relish. I prefer dukes and add a generous amount of Heinz salad vinegar so it's close to runny.. Certainly thinner than bottled creamy dressings and pretty piquant. I season with salt, ground pepper, a bit of Costco's salt free seasoning blend and more dried dill than you expect. The dill takes over the flavor profile in a good way. I make it a little salty. I like baked whites or reds and check them for doneness with a fork, pulling them on the early side to finish with carryover cooking. When they've cooled enough to handleI slice them in half then cut 1/4 inch slices. I fold the warm potatoes into the dressing carefully to keep the slices intact. I make the salad at least a half day in advance so the flavors marry and soak into the potatoes. The potatoes suck up the salt and the finished salad isn't too salty,

Fork.

 

[BobBrisket]

Okay, this is just my preference when it comes to a GOOD, simple, and PURE tater salad in my book.
My ideal tater salad and how I judge one in my mind is how CLOSE it comes in taste to a DAMN GOOD DEVILED EGG, with some extra goodies added!:twisted: Let's be honest, some d eggs are okay, but you can rock a good egg with a balanced mix of the basics. I'm going with the basics here.
I love mayo based salads, hot salads, etc, but I'm trying to really narrow it down to its base.
First, the tater. I'm good with any variety, but I do think that some lend themselves better to a long or short boil and still hold up their overall integrity. I've tried what I can get in my area, even purple taters, but I always go back to the Red. I also think a good salad has the tater skin in it. Some shy off with that, but so much flavor and texture there. I like the more firm chunks in there but you also need some of that tater "slurry" in there too. Sometimes if the chunks you use are still too hard, they won't give off the powdery, slurry. Just a hard, chunky, hardarse salad.
I've boiled two separate batches of taters to get the more firm chunks and then toss in some of that slurry.
Sorry, but no mayo. It must be mustard based for me. I like my french fries with mustard, Mhhhmmm, I like mustard on my taters! Mayo is for a different type and version.
Next, I love the SOUR! Finely minced pickles, and I get the liquid from the pickle juice.
Mustard, I love French's. As a teacher, I have eaten my fair share of cafeteria food and I really like the cheapy mustard in the squeeze pack they give kids cause that stuff is concentrated as HELL! But, French's is my go to. I try to NOT skimp on this ingredient. I have made some with whole grain mustard which I must say also curls my toes, but it's just on another level.
The chopped stuff......I have a large realm here. I'm going with basics and will add accessory type stuff too. But, pure in my mind is, here is where I battle with myself. I like pickle relish MORE, but I also LOVE pickles and pickle juice. Right there is my key for it all. I'll add chopped celery, eggs, yolks, EGGS AND YOLKS are a must. LOTS of black pepper and some salt. A pinch or so of sugar. And a must for me and an ingredient that I use in LOTS of stuff, celery seed.
From here, I get even more OCD and picky. Who I am making the salad for depends on where I go from here. I like mine at the stopping point above except for a dark coat of paprika.
My extras will from: green/black olives, sun dried maters, bacon, artichoke hearts, palm hearts, I LOVE smoke oysters, but I make that batch only for me and the wife and kids cause WE love em, honestly, I just don't like the pickled pepper, cilantro or EVEN heavy garlic and onion in a simple tater salad.
Store bought tater salad in a tub......well, it's just not for me.:evil: My In Laws are famous for that stuff and, well, I'll leave it at that. :wacko: Now, fresh, local, deli made stuff can be really good.
I go back to my original thought, I like it as close to a REALLY, good deviled egg with just a few ingredients added. You may agree.....thank you! You may disagree......thank you as well. Please offer your input cause it may be the next variation that blows my mind and tastebuds!

Biggest tip........let it rest in fridge for a day and give it mix. I even add more pickle juice if i see it needs some moisture. Now I said I didn't like the HOT component, well, I'm a bit of a liar. Adding some pickling juice from a can of jalapenos will make make your toes curls a bit more. Think, pointy boots!

 

[BobBrisket]

In a post by itself to show how much I love the tater. If any of you haven been a Scout or Scout Leader, take a simple russet and encase it in EARTH! Mud, clay type mud is best. Put it next to a camp fire and let that EARTH dry and harden and cook that tater up. After a few hours, break the EARTH off, and play hot potato.......Eat that tater with nothing but maybe some salt! That's why I love the tater so much! Starch RAWKS!!!
http://camping.about.com/od/recipes/r/ucrec278.htm

A fine line with what you add, but I like the tater to be the star.

 

[robbq]

Robbq, do you mix the mayo, cider vinegar, mustard etc. together before you put it on the potatoes or dump everything together and stir? I'm trying to figure out if it's nice if vinegar seeps into some potatoes more than others giving some bites extra 'sparkle'.

I mix all the wet stuff and spices and make a sauce, then add it to the chunky stuff. I like that it is well mixed. It may sound strange but I also mash the egg yolks and mix it with the sauce because I like the yolks for color and flavor but I don't like chunks of it. The salad overall is nicely tangy. Putting the vinegar on the potatoes first would probably taste very good though.

 

[robbq]

I've never had a mustard based one that doesn't have mayo, anybody got a recipe for that? Also, I don't like gloppy salads, so I use mayo but not too much. Just enough.

 

[deguerre]

Tell me more, please, as in details of how you dress it. Do you put the oil and vinegar on the potato, etc., separately and then stir, or, do you make a vinaigrette and toss it that way? I'm interested in this in particular because of an neighbour I had in Toronto. Her MIL is Polish and apparently made a 'to die for' potato salad with olive oil, no mayo. My neighbour didn't cook, was apparently hopeless in that area of life so she wasn't able to tell me much more than it tasted out of this world and had olive oil in it. Do you have photos of what your potato salad looks like when it's done? Maybe an old TD photo? I'd like to try making it some time so I'm interested in the details.

First I fry up some bacon and crumble, saute the celery and onion just a little in the grease, but still leaving it a bit crunchy, drain and add to still hot/warm cubed potatoes. add the sliced black olives and whatever you want at that point (Capers and even a diced anchovy sometimes - mind the salt), dijon mustard next, or whisk some mustard powder with a little water and oil and add, just a touch of sugar, salt and pepper to taste, splash in some good vinegar and stir, then add olive oil til it looks and feels right. I have no clue to the amounts as it varies depending on how much taters I make. It's a great warm potato salad and is good chilled. Something I tried to recreate from a dish I had in Germany.

 

[deguerre]

Boy. Just caught up. LOVING this thread! EXCELLENT posts by alla y'all!

 

[1buckie]

I've never had a mustard based one that doesn't have mayo, anybody got a recipe for that? Also, I don't like gloppy salads, so I use mayo but not too much. Just enough.

I've used both dry & wet mustards with that Jalepeno ranch......wet was best,
but the ranch is kinda like a mayo type product, so doesn't maybe quite accomplish what you're looking for......

I love that stuff, being the simple-minded gherkin that I am, just using a lot of bottle sauce things in unusual ways seems like a good time to me.....

Signed,
Easily Amused

 

[deguerre]

All that bragging and you're just a gherkin? Shame. Shame I says!

 

[Marwendholt]

I love me some German Potato salad, not big on mayo based ones. My current recipe is from my Great Grand Mother. We boil potatoes and let them cool, then fry bacon and pull it out and dice it, then we fry onions until translucent and make a rue using the bacon grease. After that we add in cider vinegar and mix well, then we add the thickly sliced potatoes, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. I like to add fresh dill weed and c̶a̶r̶o̶w̶a̶y̶ celery seeds as well. I don't know exact measurements off hand but they are all wrote down somewhere.

 

[deguerre]

I love me some German Potato salad, not big on mayo based ones. My current recipe is from my Great Grand Mother. We boil potatoes and let them cool, then fry bacon and pull it out and dice it, then we fry onions until translucent and make a rue using the bacon grease. After that we add in cider vinegar and mix well, then we add the thickly sliced potatoes, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. I like to add fresh dill weed and caraway seeds as well. I don't know exact measurements off hand but they are all wrote down somewhere.

DILL WEED! That's what I was leaving out.

 

[1buckie]

I love me some German Potato salad, not big on mayo based ones. My current recipe is from my Great Grand Mother. We boil potatoes and let them cool, then fry bacon and pull it out and dice it, then we fry onions until translucent and make a rue using the bacon grease. After that we add in cider vinegar and mix well, then we add the thickly sliced potatoes, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. I like to add fresh dill weed and caraway seeds as well. I don't know exact measurements off hand but they are all wrote down somewhere.

This is the direction I'd like to try with deep fried taters.....might be blasphemous to an old world German who would would ordinarily start with boiled........... the above sounds fantastic..... the bacon flavored rue becomes the sauce / coating, then?

And, the prime two questions:

Is it served hot?

And.....

Do you eat it w/ a fork?

 

[1buckie]

I.D. photo of dill weed:

 

[Marwendholt]

This is the direction I'd like to try with deep fried taters.....might be blasphemous to an old world German who would would ordinarily start with boiled........... the above sounds fantastic..... the bacon flavored rue becomes the sauce / coating, then?

And, the prime two questions:

Is it served hot?

And.....

Do you eat it w/ a fork?

Yes it is the coating.

It is served hot.

Always use a fork.

 

[1buckie]

Good Show, Marwendholt !!!!

This really helps my particular quest for tater salad ..........:grin: