This is a warm potato salad, German-style! Slices of boiled potato are tossed in a warm, tangy-sweet bacon vinaigrette while hot so they absorb the flavour. They’re then showered with crispy, golden bacon bits and hit with freshness from dill and green onion. This excellent combination of flavours and textures makes this quite possibly my all-time favourite potato salad!
Ingredients
1 kg / 2 lb baby red potatoes or other small waxy potatoes
2 tsp salt
100g / 3oz streaky bacon , chopped into 2cm x 4mm (0.8 x 0.15) lardons
1/4 red onion , sliced
1/4 cup canola oil (or grapeseed)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar
2 green onions , finely sliced
3 tbsp fresh dill , finely chopped
Method
Cook potato:- Boil potatoes: Place the baby potatoes in a large pot of cold water with the salt. Bring to the boil then reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes or until just cooked through but still slightly firm in the centre (they will continue cooking as they cool, you don't want to overcook them so they hold their shape).
- Slice: Drain and set aside to cool slightly, then slice into rounds about 0.7cm / ¼ thick.
Make salad:- Cook bacon: Place bacon in a large, unheated non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium. As the bacon heats up, the fat will start to melt. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook the bacon until it starts to turn golden – about 3 minutes.
- Cook onion: Turn heat down to medium. Add the red onion slices and cook 3 minutes or until the onion is soft.
- Add vinegar and sugar: Add the cider vinegar and sugar, bring to a simmer, scraping the base of the pan to dissolve all the golden bits stuck to the pan into the liquid.
- Add oil: Add the oil, and simmer for 2 minutes longer. The dressing is now ready.
- Toss potato through: Add potatoes and gently toss using two spatulas for 1 minute or so, until all the potatoes are well coated in the dressing and absorb some of the dressing.
- Check for salt: Taste and add more salt if you want (the bacon already should add enough).
Assemble salad:- Layer potatoes: Pile about 1/4 of the potato on to a platter or in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the green onion and dill. Top with another 1/4 of potato, sprinkle with more green onion and dill. Repeat until all used up.
- Serve! I love it served warm, but it's also terrific at room temperature!