It’s the simple things in life…
At the recent opening of our new restaurant Brats – Dogs & Wieners, many invited guests commented a lot about a menu item – potato salad of all things. It conveys comfort and hominess; most likely you had someone in your family or circle of friends who prepared it soooo good. Lori, my spouse, always says “this is ridiculously good” every time she has the potato salad.
(potatoes at the farmers market)
Kartoffelsalat
I worked in a very good Austrian restaurant in Vienna -- Steirereck. Mrs. Reitbauer the owner and face of the dining room of that restaurant made potato salad every day herself. She bunched up the sleeves of her elegant dining room suit and went to work in the kitchen. She was very particular about mixing all ingredients together when the potatoes where still steaming hot from cooking. This way, vinegar, oil and the flavor of spices would melt together. That recipe was nearly a ritual, as she spoke a heavy rather rare dialect meticulously preparing that Kartoffelsalat which tasted like potato heaven. What goes without saying is that we used local Austrian fingerling potatoes, which had a natural nutty flavor and buttery texture. Another potato memory is apprenticing in Joel Roubouchon’s restaurant close to the Champ Elysees in Paris – we made a feathery, buttery potato puree – boy he really liked us to use butter (and it was delicious)!
Steaming versus boiling
Currently at Brats I prefer to steam my potatoes versus boiling them in water. If you don’t have the equipment for steaming I suggest covering the rinsed potatoes with luke-warm water and then season them with garlic cloves, salt, caraway seeds thyme or rosemary. When steaming potatoes in a double boiler all that becomes unnecessary since the potato flavor is not “washed out” in water - all that you get is the particular nuance of your chosen potato.
Soil
You can use supermarket Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes. I’m fortunate to work with a farmer that grows 15 types of fingerling potatoes in the local Hudson Valley soil. Many thousand years ago his land was covered with dark nutritious lava soil and a body of water (the Hudson River) which now helps grow versatile, wonderful tasting potatoes.
(Lamb schnitzel layered with broccoli rabe and potato salad)
Following is a simple recipe inspired by Mrs. Reibauer’s potato salad:
Kartoffelsalat
(recipe yields potato salad for four guests)
2-½ pounds potatoes such as fingerling
1 red onion
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard, grainy
2 teaspoons sea salt such as Baline
½ cup rice vinegar
15 grindings black pepper
3 pinches cayenne
½ cup vegetable oil such as canola
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Steam potatoes until soft then peel them. Cut warm potatoes (½-inch thick)
- Peel then cut onions (1/8-inch cubes)
- In a kitchen blender combine mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne then process and add oils slowly (this will create an emulsion/vinaigrette)
- Combine vinaigrette with potatoes and onions then mix with a rubber spatula
Chef’s note: it makes a big difference to combine the potato salad with a rubber spatula instead of using a metal spoon in this way the integrity of the sliced potatoes is assured.
Chef’s tip: The key of making real good potato salad is mixing warm potatoes with vinegar, oil and spices.
