It has been awhile since I posted a recipe on Whipped. It isn’t that I haven’t cooked a number of things. It has just been a series of either bad recipes, bad photos or no time to take a photo. This Bacon Potato Salad may be the best potato salad I have ever made, however, it may not look mouthwatering as it is not easy to take a sleek photograph of potato salad. The sloppy nature of this mayo/mustard, bacon-y goodness is the reason it tasted so good!
A month ago, I received a copy of the new Emeril cookbook: Emeril at the Grill. I don’t watch much TV so I have never followed Emeril nor been a particular fan. So, I was interested to dive into this book and discover what type of recipes he has to offer. Oddly enough, I am currently without a grill so I started by working my way through the drinks and non-grilled sides.
Since I am caught up in the new bacon/pork craze that seems to be present in all channels of the food world, I decided to start off with the Bacon Potato Salad. The true secret to this recipe is not just the delicious bacon addition but the seasoning of salt, pepper and cayenne on the hot, drained potatoes. It must have seeped into those red-skinned chunks because it gave it a nice kick and better depth of flavor that I haven’t noticed in other potato salad recipes.
This tasted WAY better the next day when the smokey bacon flavor seeped into everything. Looking forward to going home this evening and eating it for a 3rd day in a row.
Bacon Potato Salad
From Emeril at the Grill
2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
4 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole or whole-grain mustard
4 strips crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
Put the potatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook, partially covered, until fork tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a salad bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, season with the salt, cayenne, black pepper and lemon juice and toss well to combine. Add the celery, green onions, parsley and eggs. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard and add to the bowl. Sprinkle the bacon over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly to mix well.
Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve slightly chilled.