By Request - Dill Pickle Potato Salad

Pakak

Bluesmoke requested this in a post below. Since I typed it up, decided to make a thread for it. Like many recipes, mine is one where I just throw things together until they “look” and taste right. I do know approximate measures because I have a basic recipe I’ve changed to suit my tastes, so here goes:[p]Dill Pickle Potato Salad[p]~ 6 to 8 medium potatoes (2+ lbs) I usually use red but like Yukon golds also
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (or more, to taste)
1/2 to 3/4 24 fl. oz. jar dill pickles, diced (my ONLY choice is - Vlasic Kosher Dill Spears) – RESERVE JUICE
~ 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (REAL, no Miracle Whip)
2-3 tsp. celery seed (I use more because I don’t put diced celery in this recipe)
~ 2 tsp. dry mustard (yes, this is quite a bit of mustard!)
~ 2 tsp. Kosher salt
~ 4 diced hard boiled eggs[p]Boil the potatoes, making sure not to overcook. They should be slightly undercooked when removing from the stove because they continue cooking until cool. At the same time, boil the eggs. Peel potatoes, after cooking, and cube. Uniformity is important here, IMO. Cubes should be about 1/4 - 3/8” or so. While prepping the potatoes and pickles, reduce the juice of the pickles by about 2/3, in a saucepan. Combine ingredients, chill and serve.[p]When trying this for the first time, you may want to hold back on the pickles, possibly the juice, celery seed and mustard a bit. These are what affect the taste the most. Add them back in to your personal taste. The overall taste is sort of like a cross between potato salad and deviled

Unknown

I was just proofing this ... put in about 1 tsp pepper.[p]Also, the tildes (~) are meant to indicate "approximately".

Unknown

Pakak, we have it bout every time we have any kind of bbq and our holiday dinners. Yours is real close to mine except for the following: I do use celery and agree with you that it can be too much, so what I have learned to do is add more onions to off set the celery (1 cup ea). The mayo is 1 and 1/3 c. for your 8 tater recipe and I feel it makes it a bit betta if'n you whip that up separately and add a tad of sugar and vinegar along with your salt and mustard (I also shake in a good 10 or 12 shakes of tobasco). Just like you I like a lot of pickles and try to use every kind I got but mostly dill, I will use some sweet and cut up some olives and pimento when I got em. One mo thing is just like you I like to be sure not to get them taters too done and soon as I take em of the stove I replace the water with cold water and peel em and put em back in that pot to mix it all up in. The real key is the last step, which is: don't get no tater masher a hold of em but "do" take you spoon your a mixin widt and kinda beat around on em stir real hard just enough to make to overall batch creamy like (nother words if'n it looks like the taters are standing out from the mayernase , it ain't mixed up enough)...My dad like it this way and didn't want nuttin else but them fancy Club cracker widt it, but he was bout near a vegetarian as I ever seen, which makes me wonder why I like my BGE'd meats so much???Somebody say sumpin bout a wood pile???

Pakak

"add a tad of sugar and vinegar"[p]I skip the sugar, since I want some bite, but the vinegar comes from the pickle juice reduction. I agree with putting the potatoes in cold water to cool. I also return them to cold water AFTER they're peeled, while waiting to be diced. Sorta like pasta, the potatoes should be al dente, not mushy.

Unknown

Pakak,[p]Now, I don't want to go contrary to you good cooks, but I saw Alton Brown make up some potato salad, this past weekend, and he said to mix the dressing in while the potatoes were hot. Said this would make them absorb the dressing easier than when they are cold.[p]¿Quien sabes?[p]Pete

Pakak

Even returning the potatoes to the cold water, they usually are fairly warm by the time they're cubed. Really, it comes down to the texture you're looking for, IMO. I don't like my potatoes to be overcooked. When they have some firmnesas to them I don't think they absorb a lot of dressing either. All this probably is the reason I end up with dressing that's too runny unless I reduce the pickle juice.[p]¡No se!

Unknown

Pakak,[p]¡yo tambien![p]Pete

Pakak

I've gotta post this! Always open to learning new things, I thought I'd go see what Alton has to say on the subject. There's only one potato salad recipe listed for Alton. What this recipe calls for is very contrary to what you said he recommended! I'm not saying you misunderstood or anything. Heck, I beleive ya! It's just this seems to be 180° from what you'd said he said. LOL[p]http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18577,00.html
[ul][li]Alton's Potato Salad[/ul]

pointer

Pakak,
Have you ever tried 1/2 cup Sour Cream in place of 1/2 cup mayonaise? Really changes the taste....to the better IMHO.

Unknown

Pakak, that does seem contrary...what the heck is them cornictchen things??? anyhow, yea some of the detail was left out of my comments-I boil whole red taters and keep punching em with tootpick till just right, I want em firm except for the outside which is why I knock em around real good widt that mixin spoon to get some of the outside to mix in the mayo so's I have both firm cubes of taters and creamy dressing...I like the red'ens for another reason too, cause I leave some of the skin on just for looks. I also boil in that cajun crab boil stuff, proly just cause I got and cause I can. Bottom line ...never , never cut them taters up till they is done boiling and yes, they'll still be good en warm when your knocken em around and mixin em up.

Unknown

Pakak,[p]Well, as I said, "¿Quien sabes? What, oh what, was I smokin, anywho? Someone said it, by gum![p]Pete

Unknown

Pakak,[p]Well..... so it was Bobby Flay cooking up "German Potato Salad" on a recent show.... So? Don't make me a bad fellow, does it?[p]Actually, he said to cut up the potatoes as soon as you could stand the heat and mix the warm dressing in with them.
This, he said, would allow the dressing to be absorbed more..... I think.... maybe.... ;~)[p]Bobby Flay.... Alton brown... Bobby Flay....Alton Brown... I much prefer Alton.[p]Pete[p]Pete

BlueSmoke

Sespe Pet,[p]I thought I saw him say that too: some comparison to "open pores"... No sei.[p]I'll say this, though, that boy comes to my house and peels taters with a dish towel - HE'S doin' the laundry![p]'sides; they're easier to peel and dice before they go into the pan.[p]Ken