Potato salad is the perfect summery side dish that goes with so many different meals. With another heatwave on the horizon for much of the UK this week, you could be getting the BBQ fired up again, and a good potato salad is the ideal accompaniment.
However, since it contains so few ingredients, it isn’t always the most exciting dish. Using plain old mayonnaise can make your potato salad taste bland and uninteresting, which is never ideal when you’re trying to impress. Thankfully, you can give it a ‘deeper flavour’ by ditching the mayo in favour of one other ingredient – a recipe from way back in the 1960s.
The retro tip was shared by the foodie experts at Allrecipes, who found the 60-year-old potato salad recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook.
Instead of using plain mayonnaise for the spuds, a French dressing was used. This vinaigrette infused with ketchup or tomato paste became popular in the 1920s, and not only is it great for leafy salads – it works in potato salad too.
The experts said: “Its combination of ingredients adds acidity that perfectly complements potato salad’s creamy texture and balances out heavier ingredients such as mayonnaise. By adding the French dressing early in the process, your potato salad will develop a deeper flavor.”
Method
Boil the potatoes until the skins start to break, which should be around 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain, cover with cold water, and then drain again.
Lay the potatoes on a cutting board and peel off the skin. Put them in a salad bowl and break into small, bite-sized pieces using a fork.
Add sliced eggs, celery, onion, pickle relish, and French dressing. Sprinkle in some salt, toss ingredients and chill for at least an hour or up to one day.
Just before serving, fold in salad dressing or mayonnaise. Place fresh lettuce leaves in a bowl, spoon the salad over the leaves and serve.
