Courtesy of the Club in Pasadera
you welcome in Clubhouse eatsWhere we celebrate the tastiest food and drinks in the game. I hope you have brought your appetite.
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The summer season brings everyone outside, not only for recreation but for outdoor cooking as well. It’s no surprise that amateur grill masters spend the lion’s share of their attention on charcoal—and, of course, on all the fare they’ll burn on the grate of hot cast-iron grills perched directly above them. But don’t sleep on potato salad. When done right, it can steal the show.
How to properly make potato salad, you ask? According to Colin Moody, executive chef at The Club at Pasadera in Monterey, California, it starts with choosing a classic flavor profile for a salad establishment (think bacon, mustard, horseradish, etc.). “Most people enjoy something familiar but with a twist,” he says. “Don’t do anything out of the box. Remember, potato salad is by its very nature a comfort food.”
In Moody’s opinion, waxy potato varieties tend to do best, so look for Yukon gold, marble potatoes, red potatoes, or fingerlings. Also, be sure to cook the potatoes the day before, or at least as early as the day you plan to serve them. Moody also likes to drizzle the potatoes with rice vinegar vinegar once they’re cooked. “This helps add layers of flavor,” he explains.
According to Chef Moody, the most common mistake most amateur cooks make when preparing potato salad is overcooking potatoes. To avoid that fate, try this: With a slotted spoon, remove a piece of potato from boiling water, place it on a cutting board, then, using the back of a spoon, tap it until it crumbles. If cooked properly, the potatoes should require very little force. Also, mix all of the other ingredients in the potato salad separately from the potatoes, then add those (including any dressing). “If you add each ingredient one at a time and keep mixing, the potatoes will get overdone and smashed,” says Moody.
If you’re looking for potato salad inspiration, try Chef Moody’s BLT Potato Salad (recipe below). “It’s one of my favorite things,” he says, “and everyone loves it!”
Chef Colin Moody’s BLT Potato Salad
6 services
Salad ingredients:
2.5 pounds Tri-color marble potatoes, washed well and cut into quarters
2 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. Rice wine vinegar
12 thick slices bacon, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 heart of romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
6 green onions, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Sauce ingredients:
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. ground mustard
3 tbsp. White vinegar
2 tbsp. Dill pickle relish
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
to prepare:
Place the potatoes in a medium to large saucepan and add the salt and enough water to cover the potatoes by an inch.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until tender. (Be careful not to overcook the potatoes.)
Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl, then gently add the vinegar. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and preferably overnight.
To prepare the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, mustard, white vinegar, pickle, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Pour the sauce over the cooked potatoes and toss gently to combine. Cover and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish the potato salad with chopped lettuce, cooked bacon, tomato slices, and chopped chives.