The picture shows a red onion because I like red onions. I always put red onions in potato salad. How can it be potato salad without one?
Actually, this recipe from Gale Gand’s new Lunch present us with a very different potato salad, and a delicious one at that. Here there is no red onion, no vinegar, no pickles, no egg. Ah, there are potatoes. And cheddar cheese, and bacon.
The recipe title says “Loaded” and it is. The bacon flavor mates with the cheese and chives to form a really new vibrancy. The dressing, the classic dip mix of mayo and sour cream, is thick, rich and quite completely coats the potatoes. This salad is best served distinctly cold. And, while author Gale Gand says it will hold for four days in the fridge, you need to understand the flavor profile over time. That bacon becomes increasingly dominant. The cleanest, brightest flavors are on day when you pull it quite completely chilled to your table.
I’m not sure why, but an equally cold German white, sweet and filled with sunshine, seems the best mate you could imagine.
Loaded Potato Salad
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved (or quartered, if large)
- ½ pound bacon, cooked, cooled, and diced
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon snipped fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (Don’t overcook them or they could fall apart.) Drain the potatoes in a colander and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the bacon, scallions, garlic, cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, salt, and pepper and fold them with a rubber spatula to combine. When the potatoes have cooled, cut them into 1-inch cubes and add them to the mayonnaise mixture, folding them in gently to coat. Serve immediately, or chill for 2 hours to help the flavors develop before serving. The potato salad keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Source: Lunch by Gale Gand
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EF-S 60MM Macro Lens, F/2.8, 1/100th second, ISO-2000