Garden Potato Salad
I love potato salad! I found this recipe years ago and it is still my favorite. The tasty dressing makes it homemade special!
I love potato salad! I found this recipe years ago and it is still my favorite. The tasty dressing makes it homemade special!
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- dressing:
- 3 eggs beaten
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 6 large potatoes (about 3 pounds) cooked, peeled, and cubed
- 4 or 5 eggs; hard-boiled sliced
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
- Carbohydrate 59.9862525019866 g
- Cholesterol 183.4325 mg
- Fat 14.470962500022 g
- Fiber 6.77245637850212 g
- Protein 11.5418000000336 g
- Saturated Fat 2.84817437500362 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (449g)
- Sodium 291.313812501207 mg
- Sugar 53.2137961234845 g
- Trans Fat 1.27424012501086 g
- Calories 410 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, chopped onion, salt and pepper; set aside.
- Combine beaten eggs, vinegar, sugar, dry mustard and salt in a saucepan.
- Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cool.
- Stir in mayonnaise; mix well
- Pour over potato mixture; toss to coat.
- Refrigerate for several hours.
Making potato salad within a strict thirty-minute preparation window requires utilizing two heat sources simultaneously: boil the whole potatoes on one burner while whisking the dressing base on another. Cubing starchy potatoes before boiling causes them to absorb excess water and crumble into mush, so cook them whole in their jackets first. Drop the potatoes into cold water rather than boiling water to ensure even cooking from the outside in, preventing raw, crunchy centers. Once tender enough to accept a paring knife easily, peel them while warm because trapped steam helps the skins release cleanly.
The cooked egg dressing relies on precise thermal control to avoid curdling. Whisk the beaten eggs, vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, and salt thoroughly in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. If the heat is too high, the egg proteins coagulate too quickly and form solid lumps instead of a smooth emulsion. Cooling this cooked base entirely to room temperature before adding the mayonnaise is critical; hot liquids will break mayonnaise, separating the oil from the egg solids and leaving an oily slick.
Selecting the right potato variety dictates the final texture of the salad. Russets break down too easily under the weight of heavy mayonnaise, whereas waxy red or yellow varieties hold their shape through the tossing process. Cut the cooked, cooled potatoes into uniform cubes so each piece absorbs an equal amount of dressing and seasoning. Dice the celery ribs and sweet onion finely so they distribute evenly throughout the dense potato mass without creating pockets of overpowering raw allium flavor.
Refrigerating the assembled dish for at least several hours allows the starch matrix of the potatoes to absorb the vinegar and mustard aromatics. Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent the exposed potato surfaces from drying out in the refrigerator. Consume the finished salad within three to four days, as the high moisture content from the vegetables and mayonnaise compromises food safety after that window passes.
