Memorial Day is coming up, which means it is officially potato salad season. My great-grandma Flora was well-known for her potato salad, and she was often asked to bring it to church picnics and family get-togethers.
Flora spent most of her early life in Arkansas before settling in Minnesota, bringing many Southern recipes with her. Her potato salad features a creamy, cooked dressing in place of mayonnaise, and is unlike any other I’ve seen. The creamy, tangy, slightly sweet combination might convert you from the standard mayonnaise-based salads.
Flora’s Potato Salad
Ingredients:
2 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced dill pickles
3 hard-boiled eggs, diced
Sweet paprika, for garnishing
Instructions:
Add the potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. In a saucepan, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, mustard, celery seeds, and pepper. Whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the cream and vinegar. Turn the heat to medium. Whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, whisking occasionally, until thickened like custard. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Fold in the potatoes, onion, celery, pickles, and diced eggs. Sprinkle the top lightly with paprika. Chill until serving.
Yield: 8 servings.
