German Potato Salad with Pickled Jalapeno and Mustard
One of the most underrated spring vegetables in the garden is a new potato. Particularly the little bitty ones the size of a golf ball. In fact, I think digging them up to discover how many (or few) potatoes you have is the best part of growing them. I love eating them in a variety of ways, but perhaps one of the best is this spicy, German-inspired potato salad with pickled jalapeno, whole-grain mustard, and spring onions.
The potatoes are dressed in what is essentially a bacon vinaigrette: bacon fat replaces the oil, and the pickling juice from a jar of pickled jalapeños replaces vinegar. Because it uses bacon fat, you’ll need to serve this hot. If you’ve got a handful of things going in the kitchen, you can make this an hour ahead of time and toss it in a baking dish with a splash of water, cover with foil, and transfer to a warm oven until it’s ready to serve.
German Potato Salad with Pickled Jalapeno and Mustard
4
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds baby red potatoes, sliced ⅛” – ¼” thick thick
8 bacon slices
4 large spring onion bulbs, white section thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
¼ cup pickled jalapeño juice
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup sliced spring onion tops
Minced pickled jalapeno for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Place the sliced potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt to season the water, and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water, drain the excess water, and transfer to a large platter or bowl. See note below if making this ahead of time.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Work in batches as needed and fry the bacon until crispy on both sides. Remove and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil. Take four slices of the bacon and roughly chop them for the salad. Set aside and reserve other bacon slices for snacking or breakfast. (Note, even though you’re only using 4 slices, you still need to cook 8 slices to render enough fat for the vinaigrette.)
- Reduce the heat of the skillet to the lowest setting, and add sliced white bulbs from the spring onion. Cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes, then briskly stir in the jalapeno juice, 2 tablespoons of the cooking water from potatoes, mustard, and honey. Stir vigorously until emulsified. Pour the bacon vinaigrette over the potatoes, gently tossing to combine. Season to taste.
- Serve hot and garnish with chopped bacon, fresh spring onion, and minced pickled jalapeño for extra spice.
Notes
- You can make this up to an hour in advance and toss it in an oven-proof baking dish with an extra tablespoon or two of the cooking water and cover with foil. Keep warm in the oven set at 200°F. Until ready to serve.
