HOME UPDATES TERMS LINKS MYSTERY TRIPS JOJO MAGICIAN MICHAUX AUTO Page created November 26, 2008. Last updated April 20, 2014.
©2008-2014 Michael Strauch. All rights reserved.

RECIPE:

  • 5 pounds red potatoes
  • One dozen eggs
  • One 30-ounce jar mayonnaise
  • Yellow, Creole, or horseradish mustard (optional)
  • Celery (optional)
  • Vinegar (optional)
  • Seasonings (optional)
  • Green onions (optional topping)
  • One pound thick cut bacon (optional topping)
Cut the potatoes into quarters and leave skins on. Cook covered in water (optionally add a little liquid crab boil seasoning) on stovetop until tender, or do two batches of potatoes an hour each in a 900 watt microwave oven. Drain water, cool and refrigerate.

Cook the eggs on stovetop as you normally would. Drain, cool, and refrigerate. In microwave, cook two unshelled eggs with yolks pierced about 2:20; refrigerate all eggs when cooled.

Peel the potatoes and dice them into a large bowl. Peel, dice and add the hard cooked eggs. Mix in mayonnaise a little at a time. For thicker salad, use less than the 30 ounce jar. Blend the three ingredients thoroughly, then refrigerate at least 24 hours.

If adding mustard and/or vinegar, make a mixture of them with the mayo, then blend into the potatoes and eggs. You may want to reduce the amount of mayonnaise if you don't want it runny.

If adding celery, chop a few stalks and mix them into the salad.

Before serving, chop several stalks of green onions for topping. Pan fry or broil one pound of thick cut bacon to crumble on top. I may write "optional" on the ingredients, but I feel green onions and bacon are required.

Season as you like: salt, pepper, cayenne, powdered crab boil.

Potato salad can keep in the refrigerator for at least seven days. I haven't tested longer than that. Do not leave it out for more than five hours if it's being served at a dinner or cookout. There are no preservatives added, and we're using mayonnaise and eggs, both sensitive to temperatures. No preservatives (other than what may be in the ingredients) is why it tastes great.

For a Mardi Gras themed potato salad, use purple instead of red potatoes and some green food coloring for the mayo. The yellow yolks serve as the third color.

BACKGROUND:

My mother would make potato salad using potatoes, eggs, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, vinegar, and celery. While it was good, I preferred the potato salad we purchased at Bill Long's bakery and deli on Freret at Jena Sts. in New Orleans. They left out the mustard, vinegar, and celery. I don't know if there were any other ingredients added, but my current recipe approximates how delicious Bill Long's made it. It was thick, not runny, and either packed into cylindrical paper food containers or spread directly onto the ham poboy one could order. I also feel that they prepared it the previous day, because I find that mine tastes closer to theirs if I refrigerate it 24 hours before serving.

In 1998 I began preparing potato salad for Mardi Gras parties, later for Easter and Thanksgiving dinners. I was inspired to omit the yellow mustard, and it indeed tasted better.

PHOTOS:

Here are a couple of earlier incarnations of potato salad. The second one is the Mardi Gras variation.

A four quart container of potato salad topped with bacon and green onions on November 28, 2013. I prepared two such containers for Thanksgiving dinner. One photo added 11/28/13.

A four quart container of potato salad topped with bacon and green onions on April 20, 2014. (No, I don't have a 420 recipe, lol.) One photo added 04/20/14.

RECEPTION:

I appreciate the raves my family and friends make about the potato salad. They do it because I've learned to put love and good wishes into the preparation. Literally think good thoughts as you peel and dice so those time-consuming operations fly by. It helps to watch good comedy videos and shows or listen to good music. When the potato salad is finally shared, the good karma reaches everyone who eats it. This is a good thing to do for any food you cook. And if you can't have any, use my pictures to receive the good karma.