Potato salad is one of those things people are really picky about. Everyone’s grandma or mom makes the best potato salad, so it’s tough to compete against. You bring it to a potluck and guaranteed that’s what people are going to talk about. “My grandma does it German style,” you’ll hear people say, which hopefully you heard in context. If you’re alright with your potato salad being “almost as good as grandma’s,” then carry on.

There are lots of extras you can add to a potato salad like pickles, vinegar, fresh dill, or sour cream. Try serving these items a la carte at your next party, so that people can personalize their own potato salads. It makes people happy when they can have it their way. Some people like to add hard boiled eggs to it. Not me. You don’t see people adding potatoes to their egg salad, so why are you adding eggs to your potato salad? I think the two should be kept separate.

You can use red, yellow, or white potatoes. I like using red for some color. Don’t go using a russet on me.

RECIPE
serves 3-4 people

3 red potatoes
2 stalks of celery
3 green onions
1/2 a lemon
1/2 c or so of homemade mayo
salt and pepper
1 tsp fresh parsley

1. Wash and cube your potatoes (no peeling is necessary). Add to a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Then simmer about 10 minutes, just until tender. Immediately strain and place in an ice bath (you can run a little cool water over them if you’re feeling lazy). You want to cool them down to stop the cooking process, so your potatoes don’t get mushy. Mushy potato salad is gross.
2. While your potatoes are cooling, prep the mayo, you can follow the recipe I posted earlier (don’t add the melon) or if you want to skip this step, promise me you’ll at least use a pure mayo without any additives.
3. Next, rinse the celery. Slice longways in half and then cut into little pieces. Rinse the green onion and cut off the ends. Slice thinly about halfway up until you reach the darker green part. You can save the scraps to flavor stock if you want.
4. Once the potatoes are completely cool, I mean completely, add in some mayo a little at a time until it’s reached your desired level of creaminess. Be gentle as you mix the potatoes, so you don’t smash them. Think more “folding” than “stirring.”
5. Add in the celery, green onion, a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper, and some freshly chopped parsley.
6. Refrigerate a few hours (or overnight) and serve.