Serves 4 to 6

1 pound cooked new potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
¼ pund bacon, cooked until crispy; reserve fat
2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
1 cup sliced red onion
½ teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup chicken stock
½ cup chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place warm potatoes and crispy bacon into a large bowl and set aside.  
2. Place a medium sauté pan over medium-heat, add bacon fat and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Next add celery salt, sugar, vinegar and stock and cook for 2 more minutes. Add parsley and mix well.
3. Pour the hot onion mixture over the potatoes and bacon, stir the salad gently so not to break up the potatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.



CHEF TIPS

Steaming or boiling potatoes.

• For potato salad, I like to boil potatoes whole, starting them in cold water that covers them by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender. Drain in a colander and place on a towel or cookie sheet to cool in a single layer.  When the potatoes are cool enough to handle (if needed), they can be peeled using a knife to just get under the skin. Then cut into any shape or size needed.

• If you want to dice potatoes before you cook them, the best method is to steam them. This will add the least amount of water to the potatoes. Place a steamer pot or a pot fitted with a steaming basket over high heat. When the water boils, add the cut potatoes and cover. Cook until fork-tender and place on a cookie pan in a single layer to cool.

• When making potato salad, dress potatoes while they are just a little warm. This will help the potatoes absorb the dressing better and make a much more flavorful salad.

• Never “shock” (placing cooked hot potatoes in or under cold water). Hot cooked potatoes act like a sponge and will absorb a lot of water and become water-logged.


Potato Types

• For baking, mashing or making French fries, try potatoes with a high starch content, such as russets.

• For potato salads, gratins or scalloped potatoes, try low starch varieties that will hold their shape after cooking, including red, new, white, fingerling and purple potatoes. Note: Many of these varieties will turn sticky and gooey if mashed.

• All-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon gold and yellow finn, have a medium starch content and should work well for most recipes.