Best Ever Potato Salad

As kids our main points of reference, our pillars, are our parents, the all-knowing Adults in our life. Our brains are still developing, after all; we’re relatively new to planet earth, and figuring out how things work. Naturally, our opinions are heavily shaped by those of our caregivers, providers, and authority figures. It isn’t until we’re older, often when we’ve left home, that we start to challenge our parents beliefs and ideas, thus sorting things out for ourselves: what do we really think? There are those raised in religious households who realize once older that <<insert religion here>> isn’t for them. There are those brought up by parents with certain political convictions, to then discover that their own thinking doesn’t quite match up. I’m no expert, but I’d say it’s a normal, routine part of growing up, an integral part of human development.

And my own personal divergence, or discovery as an adult? Unsurprisingly, it has to do with food.

So, here it goes: in the Bruzzese household, we were raised to believe that mayonnaise was to be avoided at all costs, always. It was an ingredient that my mother — who reigned over our kitchen — detested and despised. I think it was a color/consistency issue, one that never failed to make her shudder and grimace. Growing up, I was careful to order my sandwiches and burgers sans mayonnaise, and sidestepped any mayo-dressed chicken or tuna salads, per the teachings of my mother. It wasn’t until I was a full-fledged 21 year old studying abroad in Bologna, Italy, traveling to Stockholm, Sweden, that I came face-to-face with the oh-so-maligned condiment: a group of friends ordered a portion of fries to share, which, in true European fashion, came with both ketchup and mayonnaise for dipping. I was hesitant, but then resolved: after all, if I could go take classes and make friends in another language, I could certainly challenge one of my pre-conceived notions about food and eat a few fries with mayo, couldn’t I?

On a chilly, unassuming day in 2010, I learned that mayo was not at all vile like I had been taught: it was, to the contrary, marvelous. Mayonnaise was smooth, and tangy, and dreamy, and went perfectly with a basket of crisp golden fries. I wondered where mayo had been my whole life. I resented having lived over two decades without enjoying it. I was hooked.

The classic American potato salad is made with boiled potatoes, celery, onion, mayonnaise, pickle relish, and hard boiled eggs. It’s served cold, usually as an accompaniment to summer barbecue fare — hot dogs and hamburgers — and is typically made to feed a crowd. It is not something I ate, growing up — with mayonnaise being prohibited in our home — and even after discovering I loved mayonnaise, I can’t say my feelings on potato salad changed much. The pickle relish seemed out of place and added an unpleasant sweetness to the salad. Hard boiled eggs gave me (and still give me) the creeps. It seemed like an afterthought of a side, sort of one-note and not particularly dazzling. It was a dish I imagined had more nostalgic value than anything.

In the midst of my summer recipe brainstorm, I started to reconsider the classic American potato salad. It had potential — already including mayo was a great start — but was, I thought, overdue for a bit of a glow-up. Harkening back to that first 2010 potato + mayo moment (pomayo?) experience, I give you an American potato salad, done right. Red potatoes are boiled until just fork-tender, then tossed with the tell-tale mayo, yes, but also a little sour cream for an extra tang. Mustard, chives, and capers give the side a much needed kick and bite; a smattering of dill and parsley render the dish a little lighter and fresher. Both lemon juice and lemon zest keep things sunny and summer-y. It’s a more dynamic potato salad, one that has depth and complexity, meant to do much more than take up space on the bbq picnic table. Here is a side that is truly worthwhile, delicious in its own right, and best best of all: it can (and should!) be made in advance.

Dare I say that this might even be a potato salad to convert my very own anti-mayo-crusading mother?!

A couple of notes: I use a small pair of kitchen scissors to cut my herbs (especially chives). You could add hard boiled or soft boiled eggs to this salad, if you wanted (I did not). You could probably substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream to make this lighter. Play around with the quantities of ingredients in this salad as you wish (i.e more capers, less sour cream, etc). Finally, the flavors intensify the longer the dish sits, meaning it is a perfect make ahead side.

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BEST EVER POTATO SALAD

Serves 8. Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.

Ingredients:
2 pounds (about 1 kilo) baby red potatoes, quartered
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
3 celery ribs, diced
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and simmer until just tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain that potatoes and let them cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in celery, capers, parsley, dill, chives, and potatoes until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.