June 29, 2011 | Salads, Vegetables
It’s not often that my sister cooks for me or gives me a recipe. I’m the cook in the family – and she’s the photographer. And an incredible one at that. But every once in awhile she surprises me with something delicious, like this potato salad that she brought to Father’s Day dinner at my house recently.
You may recall my obsession with Tru pickles that I blogged about a while back. Well, turns out they now have a bread & butter version. Neither my sister nor I really like bread & butter pickles – or pickle relish for that matter. They are usually too cloyingly sweet. But the Tru variety is just barely sweet, and made for the perfect addition to this potato salad.
My sister adapted this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, and I’m happy to share her recipe with you. It’s perfect for summer barbecues and picnics.
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- ¼-1/2 cup finely minced red onion (to your taste)
- ¼ cup minced Tru Bread & Butter pickles
- ½-1 cup mayonnaise (to your taste)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 hard cooked eggs, pelled and diced (optional)
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender (don’t overcook or they’ll fall apart), about 8-10 minutes. Drain potatoes and gently toss with the vinegar while still hot. Let potatoes cool slightly.
- Combine all remaining ingredients together in a bowl then gently fold into the potatoes using a rubber spatula. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least one hour. Potato salad is best when made the day before so that the flavors can really meld.
Must give credit to my friend, Tom, for sharing this recipe with me. It was Tom’s recommendation to use champagne vinegar (the original recipe called for white – boring!) and also his idea to try bread & butter pickles instead of relish (way better!) I take full credit for finding the Tru Pickles – the best ever!
FYI, my version of this is not made with eggs – not needed… Janine
I have always loved bread and butter pickles myself but now remember seeing you tout the Tru brand before and must hunt them down! And now I’m dying for some potato salad too; sounds perfect.