I really love my mother’s potato salad. But, you know, it’s kind of the Kraft Kitchen potato salad of my youth (and hey, that’s no slam whatsoever against the Kitchens at Kraft – heck, it’s the food I was brought up on, after all!).
Anyhoo, one summer day a few years ago, I was planning a barbeque party and wanted to make potato salad, but really wanted to produce something interesting and original for my guests, and this is what I came up with. I think it rocks and my guests (and husband – no, he’s not just being kind) have always loved it! Try it for one of your long weekend barbeques this summer…!
- 2 lb bag baby red or white potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size, skin on, blemishes removed
- Couple of pinches of salt
- shallots, finely chopped, about ¼ cup
- 1 large fennel (anise) bulb, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup sun-dried black olives, pitted, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
- ¼ – ½ cup mayonnaise (i.e., not Miracle Whip – sorry, Kraft!), depending on your taste
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fennel fronds, finely chopped, for garnish
Put the potatoes into a pot of water as you work with them, to prevent browning. The water should only just cover the potatoes, when you’ve finished prepping.
Throw in the salt, cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.
Drain the potatoes immediately and shock with cold water, just until cool. Drain again thoroughly.
Combine potatoes with the next six ingredients. Garnish with the fennel fronds and get ready to dig in!
Notes
By all means, use regular red or white potatoes instead, cut into uniform chunks.
Don’t let the potatoes sit in the cold water once they’re cool; they’ll continue to absorb water and become mushy.
If you’d prefer to prepare this salad in advance (i.e., the night before), keep the shallots and olives separate from the rest; the shallots will permeate everything and the olives can eventually turn the salad grey. Instead, prep them and mix them in at the last minute (before the fennel fronds) for better results.
Pair this with FAB’s Killer Burgers. It’s also fantastic with a nice grilled steak finished with balsamic and rosemary, or pork tenderloin that’s got a little Greek flare!
Enjoy!
~ One of Seven
