Apr 28, 2010

German Potato Salad

A hearty German potato salad like this one makes an ideal accompaniment for smoked brisket. The dish is a legacy of German immigrants who settled in Central Texas. We featured it in our special Texas issue (June/July 2009).

Credit: Todd Coleman

2 1⁄4 lb. waxy potatoes,
such as red new potatoes
Kosher salt, to taste
3 strips bacon, chopped
1⁄2 yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup chicken broth
1⁄3 cup white wine
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 1⁄2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves,
plus more for garnish
Ground black pepper, to taste

1. Put potatoes into a 4-qt. saucepan; cover with salted water by 1". Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until potatoes are tender, 20–25 minutes. Drain; transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel; set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add onions; cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, for 45 seconds. Add broth, wine, mustard, and sugar. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly; set aside.

3. Peel potatoes and cut into thick slices; transfer to a bowl. Pour in broth mixture, add parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Garnish with reserved bacon and parsley.

SERVES 4 – 6

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #121

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Ratings & Reviews (8)

by Cecile on 2010-04-22

This is a tasty recipe, but I missed the vinegar in the German potato salads I usually make.

by LTommy256 on 2010-04-28

Not the way we make it. Oil, vinegar, minced raw onions, salt, little chicken bullion, spoon of mustard and that's it. And room temperature please. Flour? Sugar? Ugh.

by cedarbend on 2010-04-28

This recipe may be good, but it doesn't sound right to me either. There should definitely be vinegar in there...and a little bit of sugar gives it a nice taste. Bacon, vinegar, onion, salt, pepper, sugar and mustard (maybe a little mustard seed). But yes, vinegar..not wine.

by rinshin on 2010-05-02

Chose this recipe because I had two little ones staying with us for the weekend and did not want something that was too vinegar, but this recipe totally lacked flavor. I ended up adding some vinegar to up the taste and still it was very mediocre. One of the worst German potato salads I've made or eaten.

by LAURENG on 2010-07-01

This recipe is counting on the acidity in the mustard to provide the "kick" the dish needed-but because wine is much less acidic than vinegar and because chicken broth and flour are both muting (as are potatoes!) that's why even 2 tablespoons of mustard didn't do it. Omit the flour, reduce the chicken stock to 1/3 cup and add 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Substitute (for the wine) the pickling liquid from jarred hot or sweet cherry peppers increasing it to 1/2 cup-or mix this liquid with red or white wine vinegar to equal 1/2. Keep the sugar-although an equalizer, it helps to remove harshness from vinegar. Add some of the peppers (chopped) and, after whisking in the mustard, season well.

by CHEFMACGREGOR@HOTMAIL.COM on 2011-05-28

With 1/3 cup of white wine vinegar, it is delicious!
Clearly the word 'vinegar' was accidently omitted.
If you can find potato starch, use that instead of flour.
1/2 teaspoon of sugar is enough; Oma always added a bit of sugar.
A tablespoon of the bacon fat would be good, too.
I think most German recipes include at least a little bit of oil.

by Scott1361 on 2011-08-01

I agree that this is probably a tasty salad, but it is definitely nicht die Deutsche Kartoffel Salat! They certainly did not confer with any real Germans on this recipe. Germans would not call this "German Potato Salad".