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May 2010

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Vegetables

German Potato Salad Recipe

With Bacon & Bacon Vinaigrette

This recipe has been adapted from the Alsatian potato salad served by Chef Jacques Haeringer of the Alsatian restaurant L'Auberge Chez François in Great Falls, Virginia. While the Alsatians call it “Alsatian potato salad,” most people know this delicious combination of potatoes and bacon in a bacon vinaigrette as German potato salad.

Overview

German potato salad mixes the boiled potatoes with bacon and green onions in a vinaigrette dressing. It can be served hot or cold. This recipe yields 2 servings.

Some people add chopped celery and chopped dill pickles to the recipe. Some add dry mustard or coarse-grained mustard to the vinaigrette. Some people prefer cider vinegar to red wine vinegar. After you make the basic recipe, you can experiment with your favorite flavors.

Enjoy it instead of any other potato salad recipe, or go whole hog with brats, sauerkraut and a hearty beer.

Ingredients

• 2-2-1/2 pounds waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold)
• 4 thick sliced strips of bacon
• 2 tablespoons minced white or red onions
• 1 tablespoon minced chives or green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup vinaigrette (3 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil, mixed with 1 teaspoon dry mustard or 2 heaping teaspoons Dijon mustard)*
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

*The vinegar: olive oil proportions are reversed here because the bacon fat serves to offset the rest of the vegetable oil. If you don‘t want to add bacon fat to the salad, use the regular proportion of 3 tablespoons olive oil to 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.

Preparation

1. Place potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water; add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for approximately 15 minutes, until just slightly firm when pierced with a fork. Cook the potatoes in simmering salted water until just tender, about 15-18 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes and cover with cold water. Once cool to the touch, peel the potatoes, split them lengthwise and thickly slice (1/8-inch thickness). Place sliced potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
3. Dice the bacon and sauté until slightly crisp. Pour the hot bacon, including the grease, onto the potatoes. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently using a rubber spatula. Salt and pepper to taste.
   

Recipe courtesy Chef Jacques Haeringer. All other materials