To cook potatoes for salads, scrub and wash potatoes (red potatoes work best); remove any eyes or sprouts. Place whole unpeeled potatoes in a large kettle. Cover with cold water; add 1-2 teaspoons salt for each quart of water. Cover and boil until fork-tender, yet firm. (Cooking times vary with size and variety – small potatoes may cook in 15 minutes (these are best) while larger ones may need 30 minutes.) Drain potatoes; allow to cool enough to peel. Use a knife to peel if desired. Slice or cut potatoes into chunks or slices.
Chill salad overnight for best flavor – so the dressing and onion flavors can penetrate the potatoes. Be generous with the dressing, as the potatoes absorb dressing and you do not want a “pasty” salad. Add lots of boiled eggs for good flavor. Chopped chives or fresh parsley gives it a nice touch of color. Paprika over the top of the finished salad is pretty.
Red potatoes are especially good for salads because they don’t absorb excess dressing or break apart as easily as other varieties. Because of their thin edible skin, they don’t need to be peeled, if so desired.
Lydia Critchley
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Creativecook@sbcglobal.net
Creative Cooking by Lydia, LLC
