When I think of comfort food, what comes to mind is a hearty, warm dish that brings a sense of nostalgia and homeliness. One such dish that ticks all these boxes for me is the German Potato Salad. This isn’t your ordinary potato salad; it’s a German classic that’s served warm, and it’s packed with flavor! The recipe I’m sharing with you today has been passed down through generations in my family, and every bite tells a story. Originating in Germany, this potato salad has a unique place in the culinary world. Unlike the cold, mayo-based potato salads you might be familiar with, German Potato Salad is served warm with a tangy, bacon-infused dressing. It’s a staple at family gatherings, BBQs, and Oktoberfest celebrations in Germany, and it’s about time we brought it into our kitchens too. The secret to a great German Potato Salad lies in its simplicity. It features humble ingredients like potatoes, bacon, and onions, but when combined, they create an explosion of flavors. The tangy vinegar-based dressing is thickened with flour and sugar, and it’s finished off with a generous sprinkling of crispy bacon bits. Trust me, it’s the kind of dish that will have you coming back for seconds and thirds. One thing I absolutely love about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can serve it as a side dish with your BBQ, or you can have it as a standalone meal – either way, it’s delicious! So, are you ready to discover a new favorite? Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
- 6 c. potatoes, cooked with skins on
- 1/2 lb. bacon
- 1/2 c. onion
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. celery seed
- 1/2 c. vinegar
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled
- 1 c. water
- 1/4 c. bacon fat
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
Cooking Method
- Boil potatoes whole with skins on.
- Cool.
- Peel and slice. Set aside.
- Fry bacon and save 1/4 cup grease.
- Cook onion in bacon grease.
- Add seasonings, vinegar and 1 cup water.
- Stir and cook until bubbly.
- Add rest of ingredients and stir.
- Serve warm.
Calorie: 350
Total cooking time: 45 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
The Great German Potato Salad Fiasco
Once upon a time in my humble kitchen, I set out on a quest to prepare the legendary German Potato Salad. Little did I know, I was about to encounter a culinary chaos of epic proportions, resulting in an unforgettable tale of potatoes, bacon, and the pursuit of gastronomic glory.
The Potato Predicament
To start off, I had to boil 6 cups of potatoes, with their skins on. Simple, right? Wrong. These potatoes were harder to wrangle than a herd of wild stallions. They bobbed and weaved in the boiling pot like Olympic swimmers, evading my attempts to check their progress. And when they were finally done, trying to cool them down was like trying to calm a hyperactive toddler with a sugar-high. I swear those potatoes were still hissing at me as I attempted peeling and slicing.
Bacon: Friend or Foe?
Next came the bacon, a half-pound of crispy, mouth-watering delight. Or so I thought. Now, frying bacon is no child’s play. It’s like playing a game of ‘hot potato’ with sizzling meat strips. And saving 1/4 cup of grease? Let’s just say I’m never going to look at my measuring cups the same way again.
Onion Tears and Seasoning Scares
Cooking half a cup of onion in the bacon grease, I felt like a teary-eyed contestant on a cooking show. Add to that the flour, sugar, salt, and celery seed, and I was juggling more seasonings than a spice bazaar. The vinegar and water followed suit, and let me tell you, stirring that concoction until bubbly was like brewing a potion in a witch’s cauldron.
The Final Showdown
Hard-boiled eggs, bacon fat, and a pinch of pepper later, my German Potato Salad was finally taking shape. Or so I hoped. The moment of truth came when I had to combine the rest of the ingredients and serve the salad warm. I took one look at my creation and thought, “Well, it’s not going to win any beauty contests, but it sure smells good!”.
The Aftermath
In the end, despite the potato rebellion, the bacon grease wrestling, and the onion-induced waterworks, the German Potato Salad was a hit. Who knew that such a chaotic cooking experience could result in such a delicious dish?
So, my fellow food enthusiasts, remember: in the kitchen, expect the unexpected. Embrace the chaos, laugh at the mishaps, and relish the delicious rewards of your labor. But most importantly, always have an extra set of measuring cups. You never know when you’ll need to save some bacon grease.
