By Sidonie Maroon , abluedotkitchen

My earliest memory of analyzing food was potato salad. It was during a family barbeque. I was at the picnic table sampling potato salads, while the other kids were in the pool playing Marco Polo, I knew my Aunt Karen’s tasted better than ours and wanted to understand why. I asked for her recipe and made it until I knew what made it tick. At eleven or twelve, it mattered to taste food and figure it out.

Potato salad, in my mind, is one of those dishes that people do well, or not. I’ve eaten few excellent potato salads in my life, but many bland, mushy or sloppy with mayo ones.

In Aunt Karen’s salad, the potatoes were firm and creamy. The yolks of her boiled eggs were still moist and bright yellow. The pickles were dill and sour. It turned out that her trick was Best Foods mayonnaise, which tastes rich. We used Miracle Whip, which was too sweet… Aunt Karen finished her salad with black pepper and a sprinkle of salt. In reality, I haven’t eaten her potato salad in 40 years, but it made an impression.

Classic American Potato Salad is a ritual food, because we eat it at certain times of year with other ritual summer foods. Today was a perfect July day. This morning, while watering my baby blueberry plants, I noticed some potato leaves shadowing the bush on the end, so harvested some gorgeous red fingerlings. I thought of roasting them, but I had the inspiration to make potato salad. I make all kinds— roasted, French, Mediterranean and Eastern European flavored — But today’s had to be classic American or at least as American as I’m capable of.

I washed the fingerlings, pierced them, and cooked them in a steamer basket inside the Instant Pot for 10 minutes with a natural release. The flavors of new fingerlings are fabulous — creamy with a hint of chestnut. They remained firm without becoming mealy or starchy. Cooking them whole helps keep their shape. Mushy or starchy potatoes are not the thing for potato salad. It’s not mashed potato salad!

Fingerlings are special, and we are at the perfect time of year to enjoy them. I took the time today to revel in their beauty — washing the dirt off, and like a rock rinsed under water watching the jewel colors emerge. Slicing into them was no less exciting — the red penetrates like dye into the creamy flesh and is a feast for the eyes.  

I omitted eggs from my salad today, but when I add them it’s important that they’re not overcooked. I like a six minute boiled egg. Start with cold water, add the eggs and bring up to a boil. Turn the heat off and with the lid on, let them sit for six minutes. Strain, rinse with cold water and peel. At six minutes the yolks are solid, but still moist and creamy. I like to lay them on top of the salad sprinkled with salt and pepper.

So many vegetables and herb possibilities to add. It was the last day for my snap peas, so I harvested all I could find; snipped parsley and fresh thyme.  Sometimes I add cherry tomatoes, corn, dill, celery, blanched chard or roasted beets, when I’m not making a classic-classic potato salad.

Potato Habits: Waxy, Starchy and All Purpose

Waxy potatoes are smooth textured and hold their shape when cooked. This makes them the superior choice for potato salad. Fingerlings are waxy.

Starchy potatoes are what you’ll want for baking or frying. They won’t hold their shape, but are fluffy and perfect for soaking up butter or oil in a fryer. It’s important not to overwork them unless you want a gluey mess. Russet is the classic starchy potato. 

All-purpose potatoes are less starchy and work for most potato dishes. Reds and Yukon Golds are both all-purpose.

Fingerling Classic Potato Salad

Serves 4

1 hour

When you need a classic potato salad.

Ingredients

2 lbs waxy fingerling potatoes, cooked whole in Instant Pot for 10 minutes with a natural release, peeled after cooking, cut lengthwise and sliced into small chunks

⅓ to ½ cup mayonnaise (homemade preferred)

2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard

½ cup chopped parsley

1 cup fresh snap peas, briefly blanch or 1 cup frozen shelling peas

¾ cup dill pickles, chopped 

½ cup scallions, white and green portions, finely sliced

1 teaspoon Maldon’s flaked sea salt or to taste 

Pinch of red chili flakes 

Pinch of sweet paprika

2 teaspoons potato salad spice mix (recipe follows)

4 boiled and peeled eggs, cut into quarters lengthwise, and dusted with salt and spice mix

Potato Salad Spice Mix  (grind together in a spice mill or coffee grinder and store in a jar or tin) 

2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

1 tablespoon dried ginger

1 teaspoon white peppercorns

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 tablespoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes

3 dried bay leaves, crushed

Directions

Using an Instant Pot, fill the bottom of the inner pot with 1 cup of water. Insert a steamer basket with washed potatoes. Secure the lid and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes with a natural release. Rinse cooked potatoes under cold water and peel off the skins with your fingers. Slice lengthwise and slice into bite-sized chunks. Put potatoes into a serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and spice mix.

Blanch the snap peas by briefly submerging in boiling water for 30 seconds and then running under cold water. I bring water to a boil in a shallow skillet. Add the chopped snap peas, wait 30 seconds and pour the peas out into a strainer. Immediately rinse the peas with cold water to stop the cooking. If you’re using frozen peas, then there’s no need to blanch them, just add them frozen to the salad.   

Mix the mustard into the mayonnaise and gently fold into the potatoes. Add the peas, parsley, dill pickles and scallions to the salad and fold in. Sprinkle with the red chili flakes and paprika.

Arrange the egg slices on the top sprinkled with salt and spice mix.

It’s fun to decorate the edge of the bowl with lettuce leaves. 

This is amazing mayo and would make excellent potato salad, but to make some quick and delicious mayo for this recipe just leave out the sugar, tarragon and chive blossoms.

Tarragon and Chive Blossom Mayonnaise

Makes 1¼ cups

Quick

When the tarragon leaves are young and the chives thick with purple blooms, then this mayonnaise is genuine love. It’s wonderful with fish, poultry, vegetables of all kinds... or just by the spoonful.

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon raw honey

⅓ cup packed fresh tarragon leaves

5 chive heads, use the blossoms removed from the head

1 cup walnut or avocado oil

Directions

In a food processor, combine everything except the oil, pulsing them together. Slowly, pour  the walnut oil through the feeder tube, in a thin stream, with the machine running. It may take less than the full cup. Stop pouring when the mayonnaise is thick. It will keep for a week refrigerated.