My Potato Salad

I have been making my own potato salad for as long as I can remember. I don’t need a recipe and just add quantities of ingredients based on the amount of potatoes I have used until it tastes right to me. However, anytime I take my potato salad somewhere, or make it at the home of someone else, I am asked for the recipe and I have to resort to listing the ingredients for them and hoping they are skilled enough to figure out quantities on their own. So, having a recipe blog, and this being prime season for potato salad, I have attempted to codify the recipe so that it can be reproduced. I especially like to make it when we are having cold cuts or barbecue and eat vast quantities of it while the potatoes are still a bit warm, a fleeting stage in the life of potato salad.

My Potato Salad

• 3 lbs. waxy-type potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Red Bliss
• 6 large or extra-large eggs (use not-so-fresh ones to make them easier to peel)
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1/2 small sweet onion (red or white)
• 1 scant cup Hellman’s Light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup coconut or white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar (scant)
  
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. celery seeds
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tsps. white prepared horseradish (optional)
• paprika (optional)

Place well-rinsed, unpeeled whole potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and boil until a skewer or two-pronged fork meets with no resistance at all when the largest potato is pierced, about one hour. Drain.

In the meantime, place eggs in an enameled pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, uncovered over high heat. As soon as the eggs are at a rolling boil, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set timer for 15 minutes. When timer is done, empty boiling water, cover with cold water and add a handful of ice. When ice is melted, peel eggs and set aside.

You can leave potatoes unpeeled or peel them according to preference. I generally like them peeled, but will leave the peels, or some of the peels, on in a pinch. When cool enough to handle, cut up potatoes irregularly into approximately one-inch chunks/slices and place in a very large mixing bowl.

Place eggs in an egg slicer and cut, turning egg in two directions to cross cut, and adding each egg to the potatoes as it is cut.

Place carrot, celery and onion in bowl of food processor with steel knife and grind until very fine.
Add to potato mixture.

With a wooden spoon or silicon spatula, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning. If desired and for more kick, add horseradish. Spoon into serving bowl and, if desired, sprinkle with paprika, smoked paprika, or hot paprika.

Especially delicious eaten warm and freshly-made, but refrigerate, covered, immediately after serving.