Reminded that this is the International Year of the Potato, the season of salad turned my pea brain towards the German style. Usually this is a fall or winter dish because it is served hot. If you've never had it, the basic idea is to dress some boiled potato slices with a vinaigrette made with bacon fat and cider or other flavorful vinegar. Crumbled bacon and sautèd onions garnish the dish. A coarse mustard is a good addition
Thinks I: What if I grilled the potatoes in one of those sieve-like wok thingies? It works nicely.
Slice a couple of potatoes (I like reds for flavor and ability to hold shape. Use yellows to significantly alter the texture to creamy. Use fingerlings for flavor and color. I like reds for flavor and ability to hold shape.) thinly -- a quarter inch or less. Put in the wok and set over a modest heat on your charcoal or other BBQ. Stir as needed to brown. Do not burn.
Dice two slices of fat bacon about 3/8". Cut a small shallot into a fine dice. Put these into a sautè pan over a low flame to render the bacon and caramelize the shallots.
Mix a quarter cup of vinegar with a tablespoon of coarse mustard and a teaspoon of celery seed in a bowl large enough to hold the finished salad. Add salt and pepper. Reserve.
When the potatoes are nicely browned and the bacon crisp, combine all in the bowl and toss.
You might add some chopped roasted red peppers, mild or hot to suit.
Or chopped olives.
Or pickles.
Some like the crunch of diced celery. The leaves are tasty too.
Italian parsley, or any other leafy type you are partial too can also go in.
This is a style rather than a recipe. You can add or omit to please yourself. Within reason. Change the oil to olive if you like -- but leave out the potatoes and we're talking about some other critter.
--ml
Thinks I: What if I grilled the potatoes in one of those sieve-like wok thingies? It works nicely.
Slice a couple of potatoes (I like reds for flavor and ability to hold shape. Use yellows to significantly alter the texture to creamy. Use fingerlings for flavor and color. I like reds for flavor and ability to hold shape.) thinly -- a quarter inch or less. Put in the wok and set over a modest heat on your charcoal or other BBQ. Stir as needed to brown. Do not burn.
Dice two slices of fat bacon about 3/8". Cut a small shallot into a fine dice. Put these into a sautè pan over a low flame to render the bacon and caramelize the shallots.
Mix a quarter cup of vinegar with a tablespoon of coarse mustard and a teaspoon of celery seed in a bowl large enough to hold the finished salad. Add salt and pepper. Reserve.
When the potatoes are nicely browned and the bacon crisp, combine all in the bowl and toss.
You might add some chopped roasted red peppers, mild or hot to suit.
Or chopped olives.
Or pickles.
Some like the crunch of diced celery. The leaves are tasty too.
Italian parsley, or any other leafy type you are partial too can also go in.
This is a style rather than a recipe. You can add or omit to please yourself. Within reason. Change the oil to olive if you like -- but leave out the potatoes and we're talking about some other critter.
--ml
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