Make Ahead

German Potato Salad

by:
May 23, 2010
4.5
4 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I love German food. One of my favorite restaurants,whenever I get up there, is the Austrian Village in Rockledge,PA, and when I go, my order is always the same -- homemade bratwurst, red cabbage and German potato salad. This is not quite as good as the AV's, but it's as close as I've been able to come. It's a good picnic salad, too, because you don't have to worry about mayo spoilage. - Kayb —Kayb

Test Kitchen Notes

I've made German Potato Salad before using a recipe out of the big Gourmet cookbook and I have to say that not only is Kayb’s less of a production, it’s got more soul. I was skeptical about using all that bacon fat, but go for it: the sharpness of the vinegar and spicy mustard counter it nicely. Caraway adds a great layer of flavor and the dill lends a fresh zip (though the recipe doesn’t say, I assumed it was to be tossed it in at the end). Tangy and delicious! - Midge
—The Editors

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Ingredients
  • 2 pounds redskin potatos, cut in wedges or chunks,unpeeled
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 strips bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons spicy German mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Boil potatos in 2 quarts water with 1 teaspoon salt until just barely done. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
  2. In a small saute pan, render diced bacon until crisp. Remove from heat.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, caraway seed and mustard. Add a tablespoon or two of potato cooking water.
  4. Pour bacon grease and lardons over potatos; add dressing and dill and season with pepper. Toss. Add additional potato cooking water if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

I'm a business professional who learned to cook early on, and have expanded my tastes and my skills as I've traveled and been exposed to new cuisines and new dishes. I love fresh vegetables, any kind of protein on the grill, and breakfasts that involve fried eggs with runny yolks. My recipes tend toward the simple and the Southern, with bits of Asia or the Mediterranean or Mexico thrown in here and there. And a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a float in the lake, as pictured, is a pretty fine lunch!

3 Reviews

marsiamarsia September 12, 2014
Ah, yes! German potato salad MUST have onion, for sure! My German-American mother-in-law taught me that.
Kayb June 11, 2010
Thanks, Midge -- glad you enjoyed! You were correct -- dill is to be tossed in at the end. This was NOT my best effort at specificity in directions!
Kayb May 26, 2010
In looking back at this, I realize I omitted an ingredient/step; when the bacon is crisp, saute half an onion, diced small, in the bacon fat, and add that when you add the bacon! Sorry!