An even better potato salad.
Seriously, this is “extra as f*ck.”
This potato salad is somewhat similar to my already damn-near-perfect (in my opinion) classic potato salad that I published here back in 2020. A very important difference, however, is the cooking of the potatoes. We’re not boiling ’em this time, kids! We’re going to season and roast them until they are browned and slightly crispy. Oh yes. Is it life-changing? Maybe.
INGREDIENTS:
Approximately 1–1.5 lbs. potatoes (gold)
½ cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
4 or 5 slices of bacon
1 celery stalk
2 green onions
1–2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed through a microplane
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp marjoram
¼ tsp ground thyme (for the dressing)
½ tsp ground thyme (for the potatoes)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used green peppercorns this time)
Kinder’s Buttery Garlic Salt seasoning
Olive oil (enough to coat your cubed potatoes)
WHAT TO DO:
Heat oven to 400°F.
Cut the potatoes into bite-size cubes, leaving the skin on.
Line a baking sheet large enough to hold your potatoes in a single layer, first with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and then a sheet of parchment paper (optional but keeps potatoes from sticking).
In a bowl big enough to hold them, toss the potatoes with a generous drizzle of olive oil, and season liberally with the Kinder’s Buttery Garlic Salt and ½ tsp ground thyme.
Spread the potatoes into a single layer on your lined baking sheet, turning them so they are all cut-side-up/skin-side-down as possible. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, fry up the bacon slices until nearly crispy, and set aside (on paper towels) to cool.
Also while the potatoes and bacon are cooking, bring another small saucepan filled with water to a boil, then gently add the two eggs. Cook them for EXACTLY 7 minutes and not a damn second longer before pulling them out and placing into a waiting bowl of ice water. Let them chill while you prepare the remainder of ingredients.
Cut the celery stalk in half lengthwise, and then cut each half again lengthwise. Depending on how thick the stalk is, keep doing this until you have thin strips not larger than a quarter-inch thick. Then slice them cross-wise so you have tiny cubes of celery. This gives you a pleasant crunch without the annoying stringy-ness.
Slice the root tips off of the green onions and slice the remaining white and green parts into 1/8–1/4-inch pieces.
Chop/crumble the bacon slices.
Peel the eggs and cut them in half to remove the yolks, which will get added to the dressing. Chop the egg whites.
In a bowl large enough to hold everything, stir/mash the mustard, garlic and egg yolks together, then add the mayonnaise a spoonful at a time to make blending it all together easier. Stir in the marjoram, ¼ teaspoon of ground thyme, and several grinds of fresh pepper.
Add the potatoes to the bowl, then the celery, onions, bacon, and eggs. Gently stir to coat everything. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.