Warm potato salad

A winter version of a classic favourite!

So many hearty winter dishes go well with potatoes. Stews, braised meat, roast chicken….can’t you just smell all those delicious meals? I love my potatoes mashed, baked, roasted, fried, scalloped and more ways you can imagine, but I sometimes miss them in summery forms, like potato salad. This cooler-weather version, inspired by German cuisine, can nestle up against just about any other foods you pair with it; it’s got a tangy flavour and a nice bit of crunch too.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds (1.35 kg) potatoes – about 6 medium
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
• 3 teaspoons (15 mL) brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup (185 mL) cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) water
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) celery seed
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) fresh, chopped parsley

Method

• Scrub potatoes. Don’t peel them unless the skins are truly awful. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes and boil in a large pot of salted water until just tender (check them with the tip of a knife). Drain and set aside.
• While potatoes are cooking, sauté bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
• Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for two minutes.
• Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes.
• Add  salt, sugar and pepper, vinegar, water and celery seed. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. You may need to add another tablespoon or two of water if it gets too thick (the sauce should be thick enough to stick to the potatoes once you pour it over, but not too thick to pour – like the consistency of a thick gravy).
• When sauce is finished, put cooked, drained potatoes in a serving bowl and pour sauce over them, stirring gently to be sure they are evenly coated.
• Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Serves 6 – 8.