Monday, November 24, 2008

Ensalada de Papa (My Grandmas Potato Salad)

My grandmother from my fathers side (Spanish/ Cuban) whom I call "Tata" makes a wonderful potato salad. It has very Spanish flavors she dresses it in a "Alioli" a type of garlic mayonnaise popular in Spain (don't worry you won't have to make it from scratch she never did and I'm keeping this recipe true to how she made it) and some Spanish or Black olives which is what makes it special.

In my household this use to be prepared once a week and everyone loved it, I hope you love it just as much to, though I must warn you if you dislike garlic and olives you won't like this one.

Main Ingredients:
-10 medium russet potatoes
-4 hard boiled eggs
-1 red onion finely minced
-4 celery stalks julienned then finely minced
-1 bunch of parsley or cilantro washed, and very finely minced
-1/2-1 cup Spanish Pimiento stuffed olives or Black Olives sliced (whatever you have on hand)
Ingredients for dressing (alioli)
-2 cups prepared regular premium Mayonnaise
-4 cloves garlic
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions for alioli:
(1)Mash garlic to a paste with salt in a mortar and pestle, in a medium bowl add mayonnaise, whisk garlic paste well into the mayonnaise with a fork, add tablespoon of white vinegar and whisk in, your done, there's your short cut for alioli.

Directions:
(1)Boil the potatoes until a fork or knife can go through them, when cooled, peel them by hand, cube them into medium sized chunks (your choice what size you want it) set aside.

(2)Meanwhile also boil the eggs until "hard boiled" run through cold water and carefully peel. Cut into cubes (by halving egg, then halving those halves and cutting those halves into 3 sections) set aside.

(3)Now get your potatoes, toss them with minced onion, parsley, celery, and sliced olives.

(4)Add the dressing, toss well, now gently fold in eggs. (You add them last so you don't crush them). Now your done, serve cold.



(5)In my house we serve it as we would any salad, or sometimes we will serve that, a cold leafy salad, some grilled meats, some homemade chilled fruit drinks and simple desserts (usually fruits in syrup paired with cream cheese, or custards)

NOTE:
(1)Feel free to make your own alioli from scratch, no need to for this, I learned to make one from scratch from Nikki's blog "Canary Girl" which I served her alioli with "Churros de Pescados" (she has the recipe on her blog I made a slightly adjusted version because I used "Bijol instead of saffron)

(2)In Spain they make a salad similar to this they call "Ensaladilla Rusa" which is similar but not really because "Ensaladilla Rusa" has tuna packed in olive oil drained added to it.

7 comments:

Marilyn said...

Hi Nathan,
Great Potato Salad!
Me recuerda la Ensalada de Coditos de mi mamá.
Saludos!

Nathan said...

Marilyn
You know my gradnmother does the "Ensalada de Coditos" exactly the same she just substitutes "Coditos" for the potatoes, same thing with Macaroni.

Anonymous said...

Nathan: I make a potato salad just like that, sans the celery. Sometimes it's very basic...just boiled potatoes, with some parsley and garlic, and drizzled with good olive oil.

Nathan said...

Mamey,
I bet the boiled potatoes with parsley, garlic, and olive oil is much healthier :) some other time I may decide to make the alioli for the salad from scratch. (although my mom will say, "Why are you wasting eggs to emulsify the alioli when we have a container of mayo's in the house?")my response, "Geez sorry I can't make the real man's alioli which is emulsified with tons of muscle work in a mortar with only garlic and salt and continual movement and very careful pslow drops of olive oil"

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Mmm I've never met a potato salad I didn't like, but this is especially inviting :)

Michael @ Herbivoracious.com said...

That looks like the bomb. Here's my recipe for the alioli from scratch if you ever want to try it - just takes about 5 minutes. Man, I think you've got me making potato salad tonight.

Nathan said...

Michelle,
You won't just like this one you'll love it lol. j/k. idk.

Michael Natkin,
Nice blog you got there, to bad I can't comment it because I am not "a member" oh well, hope you enjoy my potato salad tell me wat u think of it when you try it :)