I never knew my grandmother—she died before I was born. Her real name was Annunziata (grand, isn’t it?) but she didn’t use it. She went by quite a few names: her stage name was “Babe” (the Irish Nightingale) but most people called her “Joanne”. I have no idea where that came from.
At any rate by all accounts she was enormous fun and a great cook. This is one of the few recipes of hers that I have and now I’m sharing it with you!
Most recipes for potato salad call for you to boil the potatoes in their jackets and peel, slice, and marinate them while they’re still hot. This is a pain (both literally and figuratively) and I’ve discovered several ways that I think are equally good for treating the potatoes. Don’t peel them and then boil them—they’ll be mushy and watery. One good solution to the problem is peeling, slicing, and microwaving the potatoes. This works fine if you’re just making a little. But my favorite way is peeling, slicing, and steaming the potatoes in a bamboo steamer until they’re just barely done. Try it out.
My Grandmother’s Potato Salad
Serves 4
4 medium potatoes
3 strips bacon, sliced crossways
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, washed and diced (optional)
½ cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch sugar
½ tsp celery seed
Black pepper to taste
½ cup mayonnaise
- Cook the potatoes, see directions above. The potato slices should be a little over 1/4 inch thick.
- While the potatoes are cooking, saute the bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
- When the bacon has just browned, add the onions and celery and saute briefly, about one minute—the vegetables should still have some crunch.
- Add the vinegar, salt, sugar, celery seed, and pepper. Stir and remove from the heat.
- When the potatoes have just barely cooked (you should just be able to put a fork in them—do not overcook!), remove the potatoes to a large bowl and add the vinegar and bacon dressing.
- Mix thoroughly but very gently—don’t break up the slices too much.
- Let the potato salad cool and season a little until it’s about room temperature.
- Gently mix in the mayonnaise.
- Refrigerate!
This potato salad is best if allowed to season for a few hours in the refrigerator prior to serving (but it can be served at room temperature if you’re desperate).
Thanks for the recipe, Dave—did mom give this to you? or did you re-create it—or what?
You’re right about the burned fingers, from cooking them in their jackets. I make a julia child type salad which drizzles chicken stock on the hot potato slices, adds the vegetables, then finishes with mayo or miracle whip (my family’s favorite)—same idea. It’s delicious.
Question: do you cook the vinegar mixture at all? In Doug’s recipe from HIS grandmother, the mixture is cooked (vigorously;doug insists the “sourness” has to be cooked out. I’m thinking we’re just using the wrong vinegar. what do you think?), and then a little flour added. It uses way more bacon (with grease, of course!).
I like Joanne’s recipe, it’s kind of a nice blend of these two concepts. I’ll try it next op for pot sal. Love, see you tonite, ann and doug.
It’s folklore. Mama taught me to make it and I’ve been making it ever since—for as many as 100 people at a time. No, we don’t cook the vinegar mixture. But note that we add a little sugar for a sweet-and-sour effect.
The distinctive character on this recipe comes from the combination of both vinegar and mayonnaise. We’re the only ones who make a potato salad this way as best as I’ve been able to determine.
Hmmm… Memorial Day weekend. Just the time to try out your potatoe salad recipe. Thanks!
This sounds good. What do you think about using baby potatoes and leaving the skins on?
I’ve done that with this recipe and it turned out good, Punctilious. And, of course, it preserves what few vitamins are actually in potatoes.
Super. I’ll try it that way. Thanks.