Can this potato salad be improved?

May 16, 2022 4:35 PM

THIS is BBQ legend Rodney Scott's recipe for Southern potato salad, and it's pretty much everything I want a potato salad to be. I'll sub part of the sweet pickle relish for dill pickle, add finely diced mini bell peppers, and a wee bit of celery seed. Besides bacon (because a lot of people don't eat pork), how would you make this salad even more delicious? Thanks!
posted by cyndigo to Food & Drink (33 answers total)

Response by poster: Mirror Link in case there's a paywall.
posted by cyndigo at 4:39 PM on May 16, 2022

Looks good!

Depending on your personal tastes, I’d consider adding capers for the nice summer days, or mint for the super hot, super humid days.
posted by Silvery Fish at 4:42 PM on May 16, 2022 [5 favorites]

How do you feel about upping the dill quotient with a handful of chopped dill? Also, I might have missed it in the ingredient list, but I like a pinch of white pepper in my potato salad.
posted by joyceanmachine at 4:50 PM on May 16, 2022 [5 favorites]

I like fresh herbs, so I'd consider fresh dill (on preview, 2nding that) or parsley if that's your jam.

Sort of in the opposite direction, I'd consider subbing in a stone ground mustard or adding some horseradish if I wanted a bit more kick.

Maybe smoked paprika? Scratch the bacon itch without adding a meat.
posted by ghost phoneme at 4:53 PM on May 16, 2022 [5 favorites]

My family makes a similar egg-mustard style potato salad (although no rub spices) but ours has chopped green olives instead of relish.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:59 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

That looks good, though I prefer potato salad made with russets because I like the way they break down a bit in the salad.
posted by hydra77 at 5:00 PM on May 16, 2022 [4 favorites]

I like the idea of adding some stone ground or seedy mustard in there. I would maybe sub in some goat cheese for part of the mayo. It just adds a bit more complex flavor. (There's a potato salad I make that uses goat cheese & it's delicious. Even people who don't think they like goat cheese have liked it.)
posted by edencosmic at 5:19 PM on May 16, 2022 [3 favorites]

Speaking as a mustard person who has seven different mustards on the go in the fridge right now, I'd suggest some mustard experimentation.

Dijon (whole grain or smooth), or hot mustards (I have a local punchy hot garlic one that I like), or different variations of sweet or smoky mustards (to add a little of the smoky dimension you'd get from bacon otherwise). Or the addition of mustard seed for crunch/texture (or, again, a whole-grain mustard).

Another thing you could experiment with is cutting the vinegar in half (or by a quarter or third or whatever) and replace the missing vinegar with pickle brine.

I also like the idea of smoked paprika above. I frequently use it in a potato salad.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:22 PM on May 16, 2022 [5 favorites]

Our potato-egg salads are similar variations of the original recipe, but without added sugar or brown sugar.

We make ours lighter by doing half mayo/half very good plain yogurt.

We have used Sriracha, sambal, and curry paste for heat.

We like the batches with powdered mustard better than ones with prepared mustard.

Smoked paprika is nice and smoky. Turmeric is nice and astringent. Definitely dill!

Enjoy your potato salad!
posted by danabanana at 5:31 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

As far as I can tell without trying it myself, this already is my platonic ideal potato salad recipe —dress while hot, lots of traditional sour ingredients, chopped fresh celery and onion, no funny business.

If you held a gun to my head and made me tinker with it, I'd sub the cayenne and pepper flakes, which often are stale and taste meh, for good paprika, Tabasco sauce, or both. (I wouldn't use smoked paprika here, especially if you're going to be eating it with other smokey-tasting things, but sweet or hot would both be nice.)

Also, I love that they're honest about the rib rub containing MSG, but instead of making the whole spice mix and then sprinkling it on top where most people at the potluck won't even get to taste it, I'd just skip that step and add a bit of MSG to the dressing itself.

But that's if you're holding a gun to my head. This is a fucking solid potato salad recipe.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:38 PM on May 16, 2022 [4 favorites]

I'd try a bit of Punjabi sour pickle, minced finely in with the sweet pickle relish, though that's admittedly south Asian, not southern US.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:56 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

I would be using tarragon vinegar instead of white vinegar, a Dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard, and scallions instead of onion. I'm not a fan of sweet pickle relish in salads so I leave it out entirely and it works out fine, though cutting it with some dill pickle or other sour pickle is appealing (adding some chopped fresh dill and or fresh parsley sounds like a reasonable option).
posted by gudrun at 6:06 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Having had that potato salad at his restaurant I wouldn’t feel the need to change it, and I generally don’t even like hard boiled eggs in potato salad.
posted by fedward at 6:31 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Roasted green chilies improve everything.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:58 PM on May 16, 2022

People are gonna try to get fancy, and that’s fine if you’re trying out a new variation for your family while grilling each week. Otherwise, leave it be. More than anything, the thing that people hate in potato salad is surprises.
posted by raccoon409 at 7:11 PM on May 16, 2022 [7 favorites]

I'd go for yukon golds - I find the reds to be a bit too waxy for potato salad.

Salt the cooking water until it actually tastes salty. No amount of flavor in the dressing will fix under seasoned potatoes. Depending on how much water you use, you may need more than the amount listed.

Macerate the diced red onion in the vinegar &/or lemon for 10-15 mins, then whisk in the rest of the dressing ingredients. You get a good flavor exchange plus the acid keeps the onions from oxidizing over time (this is if the salad lasts more than a day). Steeping the alliums in the acid before making any vinaigrette or dressing is a game changer.
posted by jenquat at 9:20 PM on May 16, 2022 [2 favorites]

That recipe looks good, though like others I prefer other varieties of potatoes. Personally I would leave out the sugar, especially if you are using any of the sweet relish, but lots of people prefer the sweeter salads.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:29 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Grated fresh (not jarred!) horseradish to taste adds something really nice to potato salad.
posted by slkinsey at 4:16 AM on May 17, 2022

Omit the sugar! I mean tastes are personal, but I lived the first 25 years of my life in the deep south and, anytime I'm back visiting, I feel like my teeth and stomach and blood sugar revolt at the regional dedication to pouring granulated sugar into everything. My palate has been outside the region long enough to reject that trend (my uncle makes this cold macaroni salad that is so sweet I've had debates about whether it's crossed the line into a dessert). If you've already got sweet relish as an ingredient, badda boom, done, ease up on the sweet.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:36 AM on May 17, 2022 [5 favorites]

My mother always put a cut up apple into this type of potato salad. I loved it and still do.
posted by FencingGal at 6:24 AM on May 17, 2022

I enjoy tinkering with potato salad, and just made a big batch this past weekend for a potluck cookout. I'd also leave out the sugar, use a spicy brown mustard instead of yellow, sub cider vinegar and/or pickle brine for the white vinegar, finely diced red bell pepper instead of green, and use a mix of potatoes. I like having some that stay cubed like red, and other softer ones like gold that will break down more. I've also found that reducing the mayo by half and adding that amount of whole milk yogurt cuts the heaviness but still keeps the creaminess. I also like adding in chopped celery leaves and some shredded carrot.
posted by indexy at 6:25 AM on May 17, 2022

General question to the group - could I do this recipe and sub out the mayo entirely for plain full fat yogurt? Asking because my partner has a visceral negative reaction to mayonnaise but I think otherwise he would like this recipe.
posted by nayantara at 6:36 AM on May 17, 2022

Nayantara: You could, but it would definitely taste different, and probably a bit off. I've tried to cut back on mayo a lot, but it really adds in a creaminess and flavor that you're not going to get from yogurt. You could try 75% yogurt and 25% mayo to start. (My partner is not a fan of creamy stuff in general - I find that as long as he doesn't see the mayo go in, he's ok with eating the final product if it's not overly goopy.)
posted by hydra77 at 8:53 AM on May 17, 2022 [2 favorites]

If the meal is at your place, make a basic potato salad and provide mix-ins. Capers are great, esp. in potato salad with eggs. I'm planning to try kimchi potato salad soon.

I love potato salad and love the spices added to this, will try it. My Mom's potato salad had red onions, celery, and lots of sliced green olives. I take out the pimento because I dislike it, but this is my favorite version. I have added pepperoni, as well. I always add cider vinegar and some mustard along with good mayo. Be mindful of adding salty ingredients; reduce the salt a bit.

If someone doesn't like mayo, I'd use and oil-n-vinegar salad dressing with herbs.
posted by theora55 at 8:57 AM on May 17, 2022

nayantara, I think so, yes. how does your partner feel about sour cream? perhaps a mix of yogurt and sour cream to retain the 'tang' of mayo?
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:58 AM on May 17, 2022 [1 favorite]

Think about different potato prep. I love
this potato salad recipe, which calls for boiling, smashing, grilling baby potatoes. I broil rather than grill, but imagine grilled over charcoal would add both a textural and flavorful component.
posted by BekahVee at 10:27 AM on May 17, 2022

Alas he also hates sour cream. I think anything in the white and creamy category not including yogurt just turns his stomach.
posted by nayantara at 12:58 PM on May 17, 2022 [1 favorite]

Try apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. I like adding a splash of it to potato salad to give it some tang. Start small, though; a little bit goes a really long way.
posted by ElKevbo at 4:01 PM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]

Try steaming rather than boiling the potatoes? I've been on a potato diet for the past three weeks, and have found that esp. for cut potatoes or new ones with thinner skin, the potato's own flavour comes through much better when steamed. Note that you'll need to salt the potatoes or the dressing more, as they won't absorb any from the cooking liquid.
posted by eemeli at 4:18 AM on May 22, 2022

Update: this recipe does work quite well with steamed potatoes. Besides the chili flakes, the spice mix seemed so close to the rub that's used later in the recipe that I just used a corresponding portion of it in the dressing, to good effect.
posted by eemeli at 4:24 PM on May 22, 2022

NEEDS ANCHOVIES. Finely chopped, in the vinaigrette (with white wine vinegar, dijon, less salt compensated for by the anchovies) tossed with the hot potatoes and whatever pickled vegetables you're using (cornichons, capers, even artichoke hearts if there's an open jar in the fridge). Later, before serving, mix in the chopped onions, mayo and egg. Add the onions earlier and everything tastes like onion. Add it in the end and the bits have a little bite.
posted by St. Oops at 3:21 AM on May 23, 2022

Response by poster: Thank you all so much! I'm making it this afternoon (along with a cauliflower version for my keto peeps) with some of your suggestions and will let you know the verdicts tomorrow!
posted by cyndigo at 12:48 PM on May 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Hey sorry so late on the report! Both potato and cauliflower versions were completely devoured. I added stone ground mustard and would skip the yogurt OR adjust the vinegars next time ... just a wee bit too tangy. Thanks for all the suggestions.
posted by cyndigo at 12:30 PM on June 16, 2022 [1 favorite]