Grilled Potato Salads

by Gena Knox, Posted Jul 10th 2009 @ 3:00PM

Morning Glory Farms potatoes. Photo: Gena Knox

On a quick Fourth of July vacation to Martha's Vineyard, my husband and I discovered a beautiful, quaint organic farm, Morning Glory Farms. Even though I had no access to a kitchen while on the island, I was inspired by all the ingredients at the market and could not wait to get home and start cooking.

Yukon Gold potatoes were plentiful at the market. The rich, buttery flavor makes these potatoes perfect for so many dishes and they are even better when you add the rich, smoky flavor of the grill. I experimented with three different versions of grilled potato salad and let me tell you, these recipes are keepers! I was quite surprised how much the smokiness improved the flavor and texture of the salads. Even though grilling was an extra step, it only took a few minutes and was well worth the effort.

Classic Southern Potato Salad was always a staple at our Sunday lunches growing up in Georgia, so this was naturally first on my list to try grilled. The best and only way to make this salad is with homemade mayonnaise. It may sound complicated, but I promise you that in the same amount of time it takes to open a jar of mayonnaise, your can make you own, homemade version.

Grilled Southern Potato Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise

This classic Southern dish is even better with grilled potatoes. Take the extra five minutes to make your own mayonnaise and you will be glad you did. Mayonnaise can be stored in refrigerator for up to five days.

PREP TIME 15 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes
YIELDS 4-6 servings

Mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Salad
2 pounds medium size Yukon Gold potatoes
olive oil for brushing
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts)
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

FIRST In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard and vinegar until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly add oils in a steady stream, beating rapidly with a wire whisk until thick. Add additional lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. If consistency is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

NEXT Preheat grill to medium-high heat. In a large pot of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and potatoes. Boil until about three-quarters of the way cooked, about 12 minutes. Drain and cool. Slice potatoes into 1/2-inch rounds, brush both sides with olive oil and grill for two to three minutes per side, until golden brown.

LAST In a large bowl combine potatoes, celery, scallions and relish. Stir in a half cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper and serve.

With a garden full of basil this summer, I made a quick Basil Salsa Verde and tossed it with grilled red potatoes and summer squash. Unlike pesto, the salsa verde has such a light, summery flavor that it won't leave you with that heavy garlic after taste. Serve this dish with grilled wild salmon and I assure you, there won't be any leftovers.

My third salad is a classic combination of blue cheese and bacon. I tossed the warm potatoes with arugula and a blue cheese vinaigrette ... heaven. Serve this with a grilled rib-eye or filet this weekend and you will be loved by all.

Gena Knox is the founder of Fire & Flavor and the author of "Gourmet Made Simple." She's blogging about grilling this summer for Slashfood. For more information on Gena, visit her Web site GenaKnox.com. For more grilling tips, visit the AOL Food Grilling page.

Filed Under: Recipes
Tags: fire and flavor, FireAndFlavor, gena knox, GenaKnox, grill, grilling tips, GrillingTips, potato salad, PotatoSalad

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-10-2009 @3:13PM Julie said... I cannot wait to try this potato salad recipe, I bet that the grilling of the potatoes imparts a wonderful flavor and the fact that you take the time to make your own mayonnaise. I am definitely leaning toward the blue cheese and bacon version as I am a huge fan of blue cheese. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
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