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Austrian Potato Salad (Erdäpfelsalat)
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Austrian cooks add flavor and creaminess to their potato salad without mayonnaise by cooking the potatoes in chicken stock, then using the starchy cooking liquid as the base for the dressing. That means you can skip the mayonnaise. Cornichon brine, red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard provide sharp notes; celery and fresh dill add crunch and bright flavor. Many recipes call for waxy potatoes, but we chose Yukon Golds for their rich flavor and creamy texture. If your potatoes are quite large, quarter them instead of halving before slicing.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t overcook—or undercook—the potatoes. The cooked potatoes should be firm but not grainy, creamy in the center and just starting to fall apart at the edges. This texture is important, as some of the potatoes will break down into the salad. But if they’re too soft, they will turn into mashed potatoes.
30 minutes
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped cornichons, plus 1 tablespoon brine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
1/2 cup diced red onion (about ½ medium)
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 medium stalks)
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Ingredients
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2
pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
-
2
cups low-sodium chicken broth
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
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¼
cup finely chopped cornichons, plus 1 tablespoon brine
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2
tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
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½
cup diced red onion (about ½ medium)
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½
teaspoon caraway seeds
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¼
cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
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1
tablespoon dijon mustard
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½
cup diced celery (about 2 medium stalks)
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2
hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
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¼
cup chopped fresh dill
Milk Street Recipes
Austrian Potato Salad: No Mayonnaise Required
Directions
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01In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high then reduce to medium-low and cook until a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with the cornichon brine, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and ½ teaspoon pepper.
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02In the empty pan, combine the reserved cooking liquid with the onion and caraway seeds and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and stir well. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
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03In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the oil, mustard, remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper until emulsified. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and add the celery, cornichons, dill, and eggs, if using, then fold until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
Reviews
January 8, 2023
Good but not great.
Duplicated recipe. Needed more seasoning. Will use regular dill pickles next time.
July 5, 2022
Best potato salad
What a crowd pleaser!
I am not an avid cook, but I am trying. I wanted to try a different potato salad and this recipe turned out great! So much flavor, I wish I would have made a larger batch. I substituted fennel seeds for caraway seeds, because that is what I had on hand. I simmered them with the onions and broth for just a few minutes. Seemed to really release the flavor. I also was a little heavy handed on the pepper and vinegar.
Despite the recipe sounding as if this salad would be packed full of flavor, the final result was incredibly bland. There was still quite a bit of liquid remaining in the cooked potatoes after 10 min that wasn't absorbed (step 2 in recipe). Against my better judgement, I didn't drain this off before adding the mustard dressing and this may have diluted the final flavor. To rectify, I made an additional batch of the mustard dressing (which tastes great, btw) and added to the salad. I highly recommend 1) reducing the amount of cooking liquid 2) simmering the caraway seed/onion mixture to reduce, or 3) doubling the mustard dressing.
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Your First Issue
How long to cook caraway seeds and onions in the broth?