I've always enjoyed a good potato salad, but the problem is finding a potato salad that's good. Too many people use way too much mayonnaise, under-cook the potatoes, add chucks of hard-boiled egg in it, or don't season it properly so it tastes bland. I like this one because it's very rich and creamy and has a nice flavor of mustard with a hint of vinegar, and the olives, pickle, and pimento both taste great and add a great color to it.
Today's Specimen
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet potatoes (about 8 cups), large dice
- ½ cup yellow onion, small dice
- 1 egg, hard-boiled
- 3 tbsp. pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 3 tbsp. dill pickle, fine dice
- 3 tbsp. diced pimento
- 8 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp. dill pickle juice
- 1 tbsp. pimento juice
- 1 tbsp. Kalamata olive juice
- ¼ tsp. white vinegar
- ¼ tsp. mustard powder
- ⅛ tsp. white pepper
- ¼ tsp. salt
Directions
- Peel and cut in half the potatoes and steam for about half an hour, until nearly fully cooked and soft on the outside. While doing that boil the egg for about twelve minutes and once cool transfer to a small bowl and mash into a powder with a fork.
- Once the potatoes are cooked and have cooled dice and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and other ingredients and fold until everything is evenly mixed, about two table spoons of mayonnaise at a time.
- Refrigerate for at least four hours — preferably overnight — before serving.
Next Time in the Lab
While I consider this recipe to be almost perfect I think I could have done better without a couple ingredients.
- Omit the pimento juice and add two tablespoons of olive juice instead.
- Omit the white vinegar entirely.
- Try half a teaspoon of mustard powder
