Tangy Potato Salad

Potato salad is one of those summer sides that, in theory, should be delicious.  Yet, in practice, it usually ends up mushy, over-mayo'd, and flavorless.  I wanted to make a potato salad that still tasted like it had potatoes in it, lightly dressed with a tangy dressing.  The first step was to find the right potato.  To keep the potatoes from getting mushy and falling apart, I needed to pick a variety with low starch - enter the red potato.  I added a bit of vinegar to the potato-boiling water to keep the starches from releasing to the surface of the cut potato slices.  As to the dressing, ditch the jar of mayo and pull out your blender.  The extra 30 seconds it takes to throw a few ingredients in the blender or food processor and press "on" really make a world of difference.



Tangy Potato Salad
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 4 (as a side)

1.5 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1" dice
2 large egg yolks
0.5 c peanut or canola oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar, plus an extra splash
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh dill
1 tbsp scallions, chopped
3 radishes, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

(1) Fill a large pot with generously-salted water, add potatoes and a splash of vinegar

(2) Bring to a boil, and boil until potatoes are fork-tender

(3) Fill a large bowl with ice water; remove potatoes and dunk in ice water bowl until cool to the touch.

(4) In a blender or food processor, blend egg yolks, oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, sugar, and 1 tbsp salt

(5) Toss potatoes, radishes, and scallions with the egg yolk emulsion, fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste

(6) Enjoy!

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Notes: I put my steamer basket in the bottom of the potato pot so that I could easily remove the potatoes and rinse under water.  While not necessary, it certainly does make the process simpler; a pasta insert would also work.  If your egg yolks are on the smaller side, use three instead of two in the emulsion, adjusting the spices to your taste.  Since this contains raw eggs, please be sure to keep it at a safe temperature: 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower (but not freezing); do not keep at room temperature for more than 2 hours; best eaten the same day, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.