The following recipe and excerpt for Tribute to Mom’s Potato Salad are from “Sunlight & Breadcrumbs: Making Food with Creativity and Curiosity” by Renee Erickson. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.
This is a riff on my mom’s classic American potato salad, which she would have ready to go in a Tupperware in the fridge practically all summer long. Her version would be made with chopped pickles, egg, and yellow mustard (or maybe, on a fancy day, Gulden’s), and it would go with the hamburgers, grilled salmon, and crab melts that I still dream about. In my version, I add a more charismatic mustard and my usual tornado of French-y herbs, but I keep the mayo. I’m happy with this salad living in the in-between space between French and American picnics.
Tribute to Mom’s Potato Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when poked with a knife. Drain. When cool enough to touch, chop the potatoes in half or quarter them and place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, and vinegar. Season the dressing with the salt and tons of black pepper.
- Fold the dressing into the warm potatoes a little at a time until dressed to your taste. Sometimes potatoes are thirsty and need more dressing than others. Let cool for 15 minutes, then fold in the red onions, parsley, tarragon, and chives.