Perfect Potato Salad

It's almost summer time in the Northern Hemisphere, but it's already cookout and picnic weather.  Potato salad is a quintessential picnic food.  It is dish made from boiled potatoes, some kind of fat or oil, and other ingredients typically including spices and boiled eggs.  There are versions of potato salad from all over the world.  In Brazil it is called "maionese" because it prominently features mayonnaise.  In Italy it is made with green beans and red onions. 

Although called a salad, it is generally considered a side dish, as it usually accompanies the main course.  Potato salad is often served with barbecue, roasts, hot dogs, fried chicken, hamburgers and cold sandwiches. It is generally considered casual fare, and as such is typically served at picnics, outdoor barbecues, and other casual meals and events. It is a great menu choice if you are making food for a lot of people, because it is easy to make in large quantities, it is inexpensive, and can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until needed.

I grew up not liking potato salad.  Too many versions of it were unappetizingly bland, or worse yet slightly sweet.  However, a few years ago I was asked to bring a potato salad to a work picnic so I made it my mission to discover the principles behind a good potato salad.  After researching and experimentation I discovered that the secret to good potato salad is acid.  It can come in the form of vinegar and/or lemon/lime juice.  A slightly acidic taste is the antidote to both blandness and the cloying sweetness of some potato salads.  It should remind you of a nice dill pickle. I also discovered that where possible it's best served fresh and hot (i.e. from the residual heat of boiling the potatoes and eggs).

Here is how to make a delicious Hot Potato Salad:

• 8 Medium Potatoes - cubed with the skins still on them
• 6 Eggs
• 1.5 cups Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip -- it's too sweet for this recipe)
• 1 Tbsp Dill Weed - dried or fresh
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 Limes - juiced
• Paprika to add some color

Boil the potatoes and eggs together until the potatoes are tender.   Drain through a colander.  Pick out and rinse the hard boiled eggs in cold water and remove the shells.  Dice the eggs and add to the potatoes.  Stir in the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, dill, and lime juice.  Taste it and add more salt and/or lime juice if it's not sufficiently tart.  Serve immediately sprinkled with paprika.  Enjoy!