Red potatoes: we don’t have the exact potatoes in the US that they use in Germany, but waxy red potatoes will do the trick. Don’t use starchy potatoes such as russets, because they can fall apart easily in your salad. I prefer small red potatoes so I can just cut them in half to create the perfect bite. If you choose large potatoes, you’ll want to quarter them. If you can’t get your hands on red potatoes, other waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold, New Potatoes, French fingerling, Red Bliss, baby potatoes, creamers, Red Adirondack, and Russian Banana will work. Bacon: is a must! Not only is the grease used in the dressing but the bacon is used in the salad as well. Please use thick cut bacon 1) so the bacon doesn’t get lost and retains its meaty texture when enveloped in the dressing and 2) so there’s enough fat for the dressing. If you use thin bacon or turkey bacon, you won’t have enough fat so you’ll likely have to supplement the vinaigrette with oil and the salad won’t be as flavorful. Onion: half one yellow onion please. It’s sautéed in the bacon fat to form the aromatic base of the dressing. Dice the onion quite small so it evenly disperses throughout the salad. Garlic: adds an oomph of flavor. You may also substitute fresh garlic with ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Apple cider vinegar: I prefer the more mellow, fruity flavor of apple cider vinegar as opposed to plain white vinegar. If you only have white vinegar, I suggest starting with a little less and adding more to taste if needed. Sugar: granulated sugar to balance the vinegar, but not to make the salad too sweet. The salad should be more tangy and savory than sweet. Still, if you want a sweeter salad, add more sugar as desired. Mustard: coarse, whole grain, or stoneground mustard is best, but you can substitute Dijon in a pinch, but please do NOT use American yellow deli mustard! Chicken broth: is added to the bacon grease and onion to form the dressing. Chicken broth has more flavor than water so it makes the best dressing. You may also use beef broth if that’s what you have on hand. Seasonings: you know how I love my seasonings, but paprika, salt and pepper are all that’s needed to create this flavor exploding German potato salad. Herbs: any combination of fresh parsley, dill and chives. If you don’t have any fresh herbs, start with ½ tablespoon dried and add to taste.
Step 1: boil the potatoes. Add potatoes to a large saucepan/Dutch oven and fill with water until it reaches above the potatoes. I like to cover the pot so it comes to a boil more quickly. As soon as it’s boiling, remove the lid, and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Once tender, drain the potatoes, set aside.
Step 2: cook the bacon. While the potatoes are simmering, cook the chopped bacon. To cook bacon, start it in a large, cold/unheated cast iron skillet without any oil. Increase heat to medium and cook until browned and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 3: make the vinaigrette. Add the diced onions to the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and stir in chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar and seasonings. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the dressing has reduced and most of the liquid is evaporated.
Step 4: combine. Add the potatoes, bacon and fresh herbs to the skillet with the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Use uniform potatoes. When selecting the potatoes, hand-pick them as opposed to grabbing a bag so you can select potatoes of similar size so they cook in the same amount of time. Be sure to cut the potatoes into similar sizes as well. Scrub those potatoes before you boil them. This is especially important because the potatoes are sliced before cooking – you don’t water dirty water permeating the potatoes. Start potatoes in cold water. You want to add your potatoes to cold water before bringing them to a boil. If you add the potatoes to boiling water, the outsides will cook immediately and be mushy by the times the insides are done. By bringing the potatoes to a boil with the water, they cook evenly to perfect melt in your mouth consistency. Salt the water. By adding salt to the boiling water, you are instantly infusing your potatoes with flavor from the inside out that simply isn’t achievable any other way. Don’t overcook the potatoes. The potatoes will continue to cook once they’re removed from the heat, so take care not to over-cook them. You want them barely fork tender. No fancy tips on getting this right, especially as cooking times will vary, so just test your potatoes often. Add potatoes back to the pot. After the potatoes are cooked and drained, add them back to the hot, drained, pot. This keeps the potatoes warm and lets them steam dry. The steaming opens the cellular structure of the potatoes and helps them better absorb the vinaigrette. Use a cast iron skillet to cook the bacon. A cast iron skillet, unlike a nonstick skillet, will allow the bacon to form a caramelized bits on the skillet bottom. This will result in a richer tasting dressing and a more flavorful salad. Use a sharp knife to cut the bacon. This will make it much easier to slice. Use a coarse ground or stoneground mustard. These mustards boast texture in addition to deep flavor that you won’t get from yellow, brown or smooth Dijon mustard. Add the dressing while warm. Toss the potatoes with the dressing while they are both still warm so the potatoes can absorb some of the vinaigrette and be more flavorful. Be very gentle when stirring the potatoes into the dressing. Otherwise, your dish may end up looking more like mashed potatoes The German potato salad should be moist but not wet. Reduce the vinaigrette until most of the liquid is evaporated. If the salad is dry, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Add fresh herbs. Fresh herbs cut through the robust salad. Don’t use more than a couple tablespoons so the bacon vinaigrette remains the star. Season to taste. If the hot German potato salad is missing something, it is salt or pepper, so make sure to season to taste after you add the bacon. You can also make the salad tangier by adding additional vinegar or sweeter by adding sugar.
Swap vinegar: swap the apple cider vinegar for white vinegar but start with HALF the amount and add more to taste. Swap chicken broth: use beef broth instead of chicken broth for a more pronounced beefy flavor. Swap onion: use red onion instead of yellow onion for a sweeter flavor. You can also use an equal amount of shallots. Add dill: when adding the fresh herbs, use all dill to make the salad more dill forward. Use different seasonings: you can season the German potato salad with virtually any spice blend- it just won’t taste like classic German potato salad 😉. Add Italian seasonings, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, ground cumin, red chili flakes, etc. Add cheese: stir in freshly grated Parmesan and omit the salt. Season with salt to taste. Add veggies: again, not traditional, but you can add sautéed vegetables such as bell peppers, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.
As a side dish for potluck/BBQ mains: Marinated Flank Steak, Best Burgers, BBQ Burgers, Grilled Barbecue Chicken, Barbecue Chicken Kabobs, Steak Kabobs, Buffalo Chicken, Marinated Pork Chops As a side dish for comforting protein: Beef Brisket, Barbecue Ribs, Spice Rubbed Steaks, French Dips, Nashville Hot Chicken or Oven Fried Chicken. As a side dish for the holiday entrees: Baked Ham, Baked Pork Tenderloin, Balsamic Roast Beef, Chicken Cordon Bleu
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