Cajun-Creole Potato Salad
This recipe has been in the family for many years but no one really knows who started it. I only know it's a twist on the regular traditional potato salad you're used to, but wow, it's really good.
This recipe has been in the family for many years but no one really knows who started it. I only know it's a twist on the regular traditional potato salad you're used to, but wow, it's really good.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup celery finely chopped
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 10 lb potatoes chopped into medium chunks
- 12 eggs hard boiled & chopped
- 2 cup dill relish
- 2 pt mayonnaise or mayo salad dressing
- 1 cup sweet relish
- 1/2 cup creole mustard
- 2 cup salad olives chopped
- 2 cup onions finely chopped
- 3 tbsp louisiana hot sauce
- 1 pound crawfish meat coarsely chopped
- 1 pound shrimp coarsely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup basil finely chopped
- Carbohydrate 80.9115867508455 g
- Cholesterol 716.9768 mg
- Fat 49.6682062506361 g
- Fiber 7.64841516607898 g
- Protein 33.6609497506932 g
- Saturated Fat 9.74004305003934 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (602g)
- Sodium 1563.99455018005 mg
- Sugar 73.2631715847666 g
- Trans Fat 4.30090382502873 g
- Calories 882 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil potatoes in their jackets.
- Let cool, then peel them and chop into medium chunks then cool completely.
- Mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Louisiana hot sauce, and salt together.
- Add potatoes, along with the rest of the ingredients, and fold in well.
- You can make this the day before and refrigerate it overnight which is the best way.
- You may need to put a little more Mayonnaise to it the next day if it is a little dry.
- Dust the top of the potato salad with paprika before serving to table.
Standard backyard potato salads rely on a mild, mustard-yellow base and minimal mix-ins, but the coastal traditions of Louisiana demand something vastly more robust. This iteration incorporates shellfish, two styles of relish, and pungent creole mustard to build a deeply savory side dish. Boiling the potatoes whole in their jackets protects the starches from waterlogging, ensuring they maintain structural integrity when dressed rather than turning into mashed potatoes. Incorporating seafood requires careful temperature management; chill the boiled shrimp and crawfish completely before folding them into the mixture to prevent food safety issues and avoid melting the mayonnaise emulsion. Letting the finished salad rest overnight in the refrigerator allows the heavy volume of alliums, herbs, and spices to fully permeate the dense potato chunks.
Managing Moisture and Texture
Starches act like sponges as they sit in dressings, which often leads to a dry texture by the next afternoon. Reserve a small cup of extra mayonnaise in the refrigerator to fold into the bowl just before service if the mixture absorbs too much liquid overnight. Chop the celery, onions, and parsley to a uniform fine dice so they distribute evenly without creating pockets of heavy crunch.- Check the internal temperature of the boiled potatoes with a paring knife; it should slide through the center of a large potato with zero resistance.
- Peel the potatoes while they are still warm enough to handle comfortably, as the skins slip off much easier than when completely cold.
- Drain the cooked shrimp and crawfish thoroughly on paper towels before chopping to prevent excess moisture from thinning the mayonnaise dressing.
- Store the finished dish at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in a sealed container for up to three days.
