German Potato Salad – Kartoffelsalat mit Speck

I grew up calling this recipe “German potato salad”. As I’ve learned more about German regional cuisine, I’ve realized they, too, have many ways of making potato salad. I’ve also learned that potato salad recipes can cause quite the stir among German communities online!

Even with the variations, there are two basic styles. In the north, potato salad is mayonnaise based and served cold. In the south, it is prepared with beef stock, oil and vinegar and is served warm. The type of potato used is also up for debate. Some say red and waxy, others say gold and buttery. We all agree on a couple things, however. Russets are too mealy to make good potato salad and the potatoes should be boiled in their jackets then peeled and sliced.

I don’t even remember the first time I had potato salad – of any kind. I just remember it always being on the church potluck table and served at my grandma’s when the family would gather.

Grandma made potato salad with a mayonnaise and mustard dressing that included sweet pickle juice. She added thinly sliced onion, celery and hard-cooked eggs.

Sometimes, she would make it with hot bacon dressing. The aroma of bacon frying and potatoes boiling mid-morning were always my clue that this was on the day’s menu.

My 1980 The Cuisines of Germany cookbook has a similar recipe. The headnote of the recipe indicates it is from the Rheinhessen region. This is also where part of my grandma’s people came from. The traditional recipe calls for beef broth, which my grandma never used. She also used a bit of sugar, which is not traditional, but give the dressing a slight sweet-sour twang.

German Potato Salad

Recipe by Niki Davis

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

0

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Calories

kcal

Total time

30

minutes

Potato salad served warm with a sweet and sour bacon dressing. 

Ingredients

• 12 medium potatoes

• 6 slices bacon chopped

• 1 cup diced onion

• ½ cup cider vinegar

• ½ cup water

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup parsley leaves or chives optional

Directions

• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat and let cook for 20 minutes or until they are tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool. When cooled, peel the potatoes if desired, then slice them into ¼-inch thick slices and place in a large mixing bowl. 
• While the potatoes are cooling, fry the bacon in a skillet until it is crisp then remove it to a paper-towel lined plate to cool. Sauté the onions in the bacon drippings until they are soft (2 to 3 minutes).
• To make the dressing, combine the cider vinegar, water, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients into the onion and bacon dripping.
• Pour the dressing over the potatoes, add the crisp bacon and parsley then toss to coat the potatoes. Serve warm. 

Notes

• While not necessary, boiling potatoes in their jacket keeps nutrients in and results in better texture when the potato is cooked. 

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