This classic German potato salad recipe is destined to transport you to Germany — or at least, to a backyard picnic. Because it contains no eggs or mayonnaise, this potato salad is far less perishable than most and is an ideal choice for picnics. It’s equally good at room temperature, but would not be served straight out of the refrigerator. Always let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes to take the chill off.
5 lbs baking potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1 lb thickly sliced double-smoked bacon, snipped crosswise
2 larges yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp slat
1/2 tsps fresh black pepper
3/4 cups bacon drippings (if not enough bacon oil, add corn oil to round out measure)
1 cup boiling, rich beef broth
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar**
2 tbsps coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
Directions
**or slightly tarter salad, use cider or red wine vinegar.
Cook the potatoes, covered, in a large heavy saucepan of boiling water over moderate heat for about 1 hour, until firm-tender. Meanwhile, sauté the bacon in a heavy 12-inch skillet over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until considerable drippings cook out. Reduce the heat to moderately low and continue cooking the bacon for 5 to 120 minutes longer, stirring often, until all the drippings cook out and only crisp brown bits remain. Using a slotted spoon, lift the bacon bits to paper toweling to drain. Pour all drippings from the skillet into a butter warmer or small heavy saucepan and set over lowest heat until ready to use.
Drain the potatoes. Working with about one fourth of the total amount at a time, peel while still hot. Slice 1/8 to ¼ inch thick and layer in a very large heatproof mixing bowl. (Here’s an easy way to deal with hot potatoes: Place a potato on several thicknesses of paper toweling and pull the skin off in strips with a paring knife, turning the potato as needed. With the potato still on the toweling, slice, then lift the toweling and dump the slices into the mixing bowl. This way you scarcely touch the hot potatoes.) Once a fourth of the potatoes are sliced and in the owl, scatter one four each of the chopped onions and bacon nits over the potatoes, then ¼ teaspoons of the salt and 1/8 teaspoons of the pepper. Repeat the layers three times – potatoes, onions, bacon, salt and the pepper – until all are used. Do not toss.
Pour the hot bacon drippings evenly over the salad, then the broth, then sprinkle evenly with the vinegar. Toss well to mix – some of the potatoes will break apart, but this is as it should be. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more broth. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Scatter the parsley over the salad and serve at once.
Serves: 10-12
Source: The New German Cookbook, Copyright 1993 by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz, HarperCollins Publishers.
