Mom's Potato Salad

One of the key ingredients in this recipe is the relish. Without it, the salad is somewhat bland. Add just enough to give the salad a hint of the relish flavor. Cori likes to add a tablespoon or two of vinegar, which gives similar results. She sprinkles vinegar on the potatoes while still warm so the potatoes absorb some of the vinegar flavor.

Use boiling poratoes, also called waxy potatoes — like Red Bliss, New, or Fingerling potatoes — for potato salad. These varieties have the least amount of starch and do the best job at retaining their shape during boiling. All-purpose potatoes (which have a little more starch than waxy), like white and Yukon Gold, are also suitable choices for potato salad.

Brian and I always add parsley to ours, fresh if we have it. A little celery seed is also a nice addition. Do not add too many radishes as they start to smell fairly strong. They may also emit water and make the salad watery.

Tip: How do you keep potato salad from getting watery? Potatoes can retain moisture. To prevent this, drain the potatoes very well in a colander or pot. Allow all the steam to escape the potatoes before mixing them with the dressing and other ingredients. Steaming the potatoes instead of boiling them is a good way to ensure that excess moisture isn't trapped inside. The last time I made this, I added a bit more egg and that may have helped. After 3 days it was still fine.

6 medium boiling (waxy) potatoes (about 2 pounds), cooked then cut into cubes (skins can be left on)
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
1 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced (or use sweet onions)
2 radishes, thinly sliced in rounds (adds a bit of peppery taste)
2 or more Tbsp. sweet pickle relish with juice (to taste)
Mayonnaise (about 1 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

The key to perfectly cooked potatoes is starting them in a pot of cold water where they're fully submerged. The biggest problem with starting potatoes in boiling water is uneven cooking. This leads the outside of the potato being overcooked and mushy, while the inside is undercooked. Add salt to the water to season the potatoes. Tip: also add some white vinegar to the water (one tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water)- it prevents overcooking since pectin breaks down much more slowly in acidic environments.

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to cook the potatoes at a simmer. Cook them until they are just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool before adding the dressing. Potatoes will sweat water as they cool, and that can contribute watery potato salad. You may want to try Cori's tip of sprinking some vinegar over the warm potatoes to give them a little zip. It adds a nice contrast to the sweet pickle relish.

Mix in the remaining ingredients, adding just enough mayonnaise to coat all the vegetables and hold the salad together. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Servings 6 - 8

Optional Ingredients:

1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. celery seed
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
grated fresh carrot
chopped fresh sweet peppers

Another recipe I found adds this dressing which may be interesting to try::

1/4 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Cook's Illustrated Make-Ahead Potato Salad

Cook's Illustrated's potato salad is similar to Mom's and I thought I would include it here for comparison. Their recipe uses russet potatoes instead of boiling, or waxy, potatoes, which hold their shape better in soups and any preparation that requires cooking in liquid. Russet, due to their starchy content, are better for baking and french fries where you want a fluffy inside. Cook's Illustrated is an American cooking magazine published by America's Test Kitchen in Brookline, Massachusetts, founded by Christopher Kimball.

5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 9 medium)
1 tablespoon table salt
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups mayonnaise
2 celery ribs, medium and chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1/3 cup red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, fresh and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover by 1" of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), about 8 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and transfer them to a large bowl. Gently stir in vinegar and let stand until the potatoes are just warm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together 1 cup of the mayonnaise with the celery, pickle relish, onion, parsley, celery seed, dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Using rubber spatula, gently fold the mayonnaise mixture and eggs into the potatoes.

To Store: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

To Serve: Let the salad stand at room temperature about 1 hour. Gently fold in the remaining 1 cup mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve Right Away: Stir all of the mayonnaise into the potatoes when adding the celery, etc., cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.