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Potato salad is one of those dishes that must be at every summer party, otherwise we just don’t feel satisfied. After all, what else goes so well with everything from ham and cheese sandwiches to grilled hamburgers and hot dogs that like it? But there are apparently as many potato salad recipes to choose from as there are stars in the sky. So honestly, we let Martha Stewart make the choice for us. Her favorite potato salad recipe is one her family has passed down for generations, and while it’s pretty simple and classic, there are a few Martha twists that ensure it comes out perfect to us every time.
The first secret to Stewart’s potato salad is what type of potatoes she uses and how she cooks them. Stewart uses red-skinned potatoes, like Red Bliss, to make the salad. She says they have a sweet flavor and creamy texture, and that texture can also help the potato salad taste dry. So, instead of boiling the potatoes, she steams them in a steamer basket. This ensures that they are tender throughout and also makes it easier to remove the skin. Just peel them when they are cool enough to touch.
Lent by Consevisen.
The other secret is that before she mixes the potatoes with their dressing, she tosses them in vinegar and onion. The warm potatoes soak up the sour taste, which prevents the potato salad from tasting too heavy when it’s all mixed together.
Stewart also ensures that the creamy dressing has a healthy kick to it as well. Instead of using just mayonnaise (she prefers Hellman’s, which is known as Best Foods in the western half of the country), she incorporates buttermilk and sliced cornichons. The result is a diluted dressing that gets a light saltiness from the gherkins and a gentle kick from the buttermilk.
Courtesy of Hellmann’s.
Stewart garnishes her potato salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs and a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley. It’s the type of recipe that is more than the sum of its parts. If you’ve had enough of bland, dry bowls of potato salad the past few summers, try making Martha Stewart’s favorite potato salad recipe instead.
Before you go, check out our slideshow below:
See: We Tried Ina Garten’s Overnight Mac & Cheese, and We Totally Understand Why It Broke The Internet
