When I first tried this recipe last year, I’d been tempted by the sultry charms of a 10 lb bag o’ russet potatoes for a buck. Since we are but two simple folk (and the world’s finest cat), there was no way we were going to be able to work our way through this bounty of spuds before things got nasty – so I went to da Google:
Hmmm – RUSSET potato salad?
Interesting.
AND tasty, as it turned out; this is Rich’s favorite potato salad – even when, as I did for this batch, I skip the hard cooked eggs and substitute Yukon Gold for the Russets (I think the keys are the buttermilk in the dressing and the fresh parsley).
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
•3 lb potatoes
•3 large hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
•1/2 cup bread & butter pickles, chopped – I use a combination of zesty dills and sweet gherkins
•1/2-cup onion, chopped
•1/2 cup celery or green pepper, chopped
•Chopped fresh parsley
•Paprika
Dressing:
•1/2 cup buttermilk
•1/2 cup sour cream
•1/2 cup mayonnaise
•2 tbsp Dijon mustard
•Salt and pepper to taste
Leave the potatoes whole, or cut large ones in half. Cover with well salted water in large pot, put the lid on, and boil for about fifteen minutes.
Drain and cool slightly, then peel (I don’t bother peeling) and drop into a large bowl.
Add the egg, pickles, onion, celery and/or peppers, and parsley.
In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. Pour over the potato mixture, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to mix.
Garnish with paprika, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving (it’s really best to let it rest overnight, but an hour will be OK).
NOTE: if you’re looking through this recipe and saying “Buttermilk?!?!!!!!!” No, you don’t HAVE to run out and buy a carton of buttermilk for just this recipe – tho’ you SHOULD, because: 1) it’s just THAT good. and 2) there are so many ways buttermilk adds good things to stuff – chicken, for example – that I feel a little bit off kilter when I run out.
Still, no buttermilk in the larder, Bunky? No problem. Here’s a simple substitute that only requires two common ingredients and ten minutes.
Potato salad and summer – can’t beat THAT with a stick!