Description
Potato salad regularly makes an appearance at backyard barbecues across the country, but is so often some tediously bland version. This smoked potato salad livens things up with a kiss of wood smoke and a punchy dressing.
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 pounds waxy (see notes) potatoes, scrubbed and cut into roughly equal bite-size pieces
- 2 eggs, boiled and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced and white parts finely chopped
- 15 cornichons (see notes), coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Smoked paprika for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set up your smoker for a 225°F cook.
- Add the mayo, mustards, vinegar, shallots, cornichons, and scallions to a small bowl and mix to combine. Adjust seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or more vinegar to taste. Fold the chopped eggs into the dressing, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and set over high heat. Generously salt the water.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil, give them a stir, and lower the heat, simmering the potatoes until they are just starting to become tender. You should be able to pierce them with a fork, but there should be resistance. You don’t want them fully cooked.
- Shock the potatoes in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and thoroughly drain. Place the drained potatoes in a disposable aluminum pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss to coat. Generously season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
- Smoke the potatoes in the aluminum pan until a fork or skewer can easily be inserted without resistance, about 1 hour 40 mins, stirring once for even cooking. Remove the potatoes from the smoker and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, toss the warm potatoes with the dressing to coat. The potato salad is delicious served warm, but you can refrigerate and serve cold if desired. Optionally, dust with smoked paprika before serving.
Notes
- I like a mix of baby red and Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Waxy potatoes are lower in starch and hold up better in potato salads than Russets or Idaho potatoes will.
- Cornichons are small French pickles with a different flavor profile than regular dill pickles — more tart and often made with tarragon. If you cannot find them, feel free to substitute half as many baby dill pickles.
Keywords: Potato Salad, Smoked Potatoes